Waikato Business News July/August 2023

JULY/AUGUST 2023 

VOLUME 31 

ISSUE 7 

READ ONLINE AT 

http://www.wbn.co.nz 

/WaikatoBusinessNews 

The Waikato region’s voice of local business 

WINNING WORKSHOP BREWS 

Raglan boutique brewers Workshop Brewing Company are 

making a big impact with their small batch craft beers - PAGE 3 

FOSTERS 50-YEAR LEGACY 

Fosters celebrate 50-years of building great communities across the 

Waikato and Bay of Plenty through strong foundations - PAGE 56 

NZ BLOOD ON THE MOVE 

The new Hamilton Blood Donor Centre opened its doors to a 

state-of-the-art building in the heart of the CBD - PAGE 59 

WAIKATO REGION’S 

Homes of the year announced 

Forever set in stone 

SJR Builders Limited - PAGE 18 

New Home over $4 million 

Surf and turf 

FV Design and Build - PAGE 24 

Altus Window Systems New Home $750,000 - $1 million 

All grown up 

GD Pringle Building - PAGE 29 

Renovation up to $750,000 

more business owners 

trust LINK to sell their businesses 

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LINKBUSINESS.CO.NZ

Montana Group 

welcomes new 

Board of Directors 

Montana Group is pleased to announce the formation of 

its new Board of Directors in a strategic move towards 

continued growth and innovation. 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, MAY/JUNE 2023 

The newly formed 

Board brings together 

a wealth of experience 

and expertise across food and 

hospitality, wholesale and 

retail, and corporate finance 

and regulation. Their collective 

leadership will play a 

pivotal role in driving sustainable 

growth and shaping 

the strategic direction of the 

Group. 

With their deep industry 

knowledge and strategic 

insights, the Board of 

Directors will work closely 

with the CEO and the 

executive leadership team 

to set and execute Montana 

Group’s vision for the future. 

Their combined experience 

will drive innovation, 

enhance operational 

efficiency, and continue 

to deliver exceptional 

value to Montana Group’s 

stakeholders. 

Gráinne Troute (Board 

Chair) and Brett Tucker 

will join Mark Wylie (CEO), 

and Director/Shareholders 

Dallas Fisher and Troy Reid 

on the six-person board, with 

the sixth position due to be 

confirmed. 

Gráinne comes with a 

wealth of knowledge from 

a background in food and 

hospitality, tourism, senior 

leadership, corporate 

governance, culture, risk, and 

change. She is an experienced 

professional director who 

holds a range of directorships 

across the tourism and private 

sectors and brings many 

years’ experience in senior 

executive roles including 

stints at McDonald’s and 

SkyCity. 

Brett has over thirty years 

of commercial and senior 

management experience 

including CEO roles in the 

wholesale and retail sector in 

New Zealand and Australia. 

He has served on a number of 

private Boards and Trusts and 

has significant commercial 

experience within APAC, 

Europe and North America, 

and has and has first-hand 

knowledge of manufacturing, 

procurement, and supply 

chain processes. 

“We are excited to 

welcome these exceptional 

individuals to our Board of 

Directors,” says Mark Wylie, 

CEO Montana Group. “Each 

member brings a unique 

perspective and a proven 

The Group has always invested in 

innovation and people and it’s our focus 

on collaboration and partnerships, along 

with being known as innovators in the 

market, that has led us to where we are 

today. I’m confident that with the Board of 

Directors in place we can further elevate 

our standing and drive great outcomes for 

our staff and customers. 

Montana Group Board of Directors. Clockwise from top: 

Dallas Fisher, Director Shareholder; Troy Reid, Director Shareholder; Mark Wylie, CEO; 

Brett Tucker, Director; Gráinne Troute, Board Chair. 

track record of success in 

their respective fields. We 

believe their insights and 

guidance will be invaluable 

as we navigate through new 

challenges and opportunities 

in the food and hospitality 

sector.” 

Montana Group is a 

specialist food and events 

management business, 

operating several brands in 

the upper North Island with 

a range of food, service, and 

event operations. 

With 11 brands and more 

than 30 kitchens across 

two cities, the Group is now 

recognised as the largest, 

privately-owned caterer in 

New Zealand, employing 

close to 1,000 people across 

Auckland and Waikato. 

www.montanagroup.co.nz 

At Bayleys, we believe relationships are 

what businesses are built on and how they 

succeed. We understand that to maximise 

the return on your property you need: 

Professional property management 

A business partner that understands 

your views and goals 

Contact the Bayleys Waikato Commercial 

Property Management team today. 

Jan Cooney 

Head Commercial Property Management - 

Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki 

027 408 9339 

jan.cooney@bayleys.co.nz 

David Cashmore 

Bayleys Commercial Manager - Waikato 

021 943 305 

david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz 

Gert Maritz 

Senior Facilities Manager - Waikato 

027 230 2514 

gert.maritz@bayleys.co.nz 

Darren Rule 

Senior Facilities Manager - Bay of Plenty & Taranaki 

027 214 1631 

darren.rule@bayleys.co.nz 

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

ALTOGETHER BETTER 

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services

Craft beer a winner for 

Workshop Brewing 

Raglan boutique brewers Workshop Brewing 

Company are making a big impact with their 

small batch craft beers. 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 3 

Taking out Champion 

Micro Brewery and 

picking up two golds, 

two silvers and one bronze at 

the recent NZ Beer Awards is 

an unexpected accolade for 

co-founders Bruno David, Matt 

Williams and Jake Gibbs. 

They only entered the 

awards hoping to gain some 

feedback and, after only four 

years into their brewing journey, 

they gained confirmation 

from world class judges that 

they are hitting the mark. 

“To submit five of our core 

range beers, one, the chocolate 

stout, which we only brewed 

once. And to get medals for all 

of those five beers was actually 

a bit mind blowing, because I 

was really just trying to look for 

feedback,” Bruno says. 

Winning medals for every 

beer - golds for their Expeh! 

and Wakey Jakey, silvers for 

Pete’s Pilsner and Chocalot, 

and a bronze for the pale ale 

Raglan Pale Ale – put them in 

the running for micro brewery. 

“Because we medalled 

across all of them, and we had 

two golds, we won the micro 

category, which is all breweries 

in New Zealand up to 50,000 

litres. So yeah, I'm absolutely 

stoked to win that award, and 

it’s really unexpected. We actually 

had a few beers after that 

one,” he laughs. 

The wins are testament to 

the time, effort and finesse that 

goes into a Workshop brew. 

Brewmaster Bruno is passionate 

about enhancing the 

flavour profiles of their core 

range of beers, as well as developing 

new one-off brews using 

seasonal produce from around 

Whāingaroa. 

“We did a grapefruit IPA, 

with grapefruit of Pete’s tree. 

We've done an orange and 

guava sour with guavas from 

Pete’s place and oranges from 

mine. Just little cool things like 

that.” 

They’re even producing 

non-alcoholic beverages, like 

kombuchas and sodas, all with 

local fruits growing mostly in 

Bruno’s garden. 

A freshwater scientist 

turned brewmaster, Bruno 

applies a lot of core sustainability 

principles to brewing. 

Water used to cool the 

beer is reused for washing and 

cleaning. 

They’ve designed their own 

carbon dioxide recovery systems 

to capture CO2 released 

during fermentation and reuse 

it to carbonate the brews. 

Spent grain and post-mashing 

becomes cattle feed for 

Dreamview Farm & Creamery 

and used to make sourdough at 

Raglan Artisan Bread. 

“It’s really nice to involve 

the community. I take a sack of 

grain to Corinna and she gives 

me a loaf of bread.” 

The off-licence brewery also 

minimises waste by letting people 

bring their own bottles to 

get beer fresh off the taps. 

Although Workshop has 

only been open since 2019, the 

dream of opening a brewery 

in Raglan goes back close to 

10 years when Matt and Jake 

dreamed up the idea while sipping 

beers at a Tofino brew bar 

in Cananda. 

Matt set about making the 

dream come true when he did 

an apprenticeship at Skinners, 

a large commercial brewer in 

the UK. 

Back home in New Zealand 

and a chance conversation at a 

party introduced Bruno into the 

Workshop mix. 

They started out using a small 

customised brewery pilot kit, 

which was capable of producing 

up to 100 litres of beer, and 

that’s 

where 

Bruno 

began experimenting 

with 

different styles of 

beer, along with different 

hops, yeast, barley and water. 

Bruno says the quality of 

Raglan’s town water is ideal for 

making beer, “once we filter out 

the chlorine that the council 

puts in it, we get it back to its 

natural state. Essentially our 

beers are made with pure volcanic 

spring water which has a 

unique and favourable mineral 

profile for brewing”. 

Other than the purchase of 

three specialised 2000 litre fermenters, 

the rest of the brewery 

equipment has been repurposed 

- a mill from a Cambridge 

farm to crush barley, dairy vats 

as brew kettles, the hot liquor 

tank was recovered from a 

farm gully and an old sink from 

Xtreme Zero Waste is now keg 

washer/bottling bench. 

Much of this ingenuity is 

down to Matt’s dad Pete who 

runs Raglan Engineering and 

is known around town as a fixit 

man. 

“We’ve built everything next 

door (at Raglan Engineering). 

It took us five years to piece all 

of the kit together.” 

Bruno says it would have 

been cheaper to buy a turnkey 

brewery from China. 

“The ethos that we've always 

had is around utilising existing 

materials that cost you labour 

and cost you time, but it has a 

story.” 

There’s a sense of serendipity 

that the brewery is housed 

in the building on Park Drive. 

Back in the day, it was used 

to store the grain destined for 

Waikato Breweries back when 

Workshop founders Jake Gibbs, Bruno 

David and Matt Williams. 

goods came by ship over the 

Raglan bar. 

“It's kind of funny - the grain 

still comes here now by a different 

route, but it doesn't leave 

it gets converted to beer here,” 

Bruno laughs. 

While they may be riding 

high after their win at the beer 

awards, there are no plans for 

expansion. 

But staying true to their 

small batch roots and sustainability 

ethos is not without its 

costs. 

The excise tax all alcohol 

producers pay is the same 

regardless of the volumes produced, 

added to this is a scale 

based on the alcohol content. 

“The issue is excise tax is 

generally a targeted tax to deal 

with alcohol-related harm and 

that’s not what craft beer is 

really all about. That’s probably 

the RTD lower value type 

of drink. Money should be 

directed towards managing 

people that have alcohol problems, 

but people aren't buying 

craft beer at 14 bucks a litre to 

go on benders,” he says. 

Australia, the UK and America 

have excise taxes scaled by 

volume, Bruno says, and the 

boutique distilling industries 

there are flourishing. 

And, he adds, the craft beer 

movement has made a positive 

impact on the hops industry in 

New Zealand, with new farms 

emerging around the country, 

generating jobs and increasing 

diversity of hops to keep up 

with the brewers’ demands for 

unique flavours. 

“If the craft beer industry 

goes down, the big guys will end 

up buying small craft brewers 

as they've done before. Because 

the only way for a small businesses 

to stay viable is to create 

more volume to try and get 

those small margins. It doesn't 

make a lot of logical sense to me 

and it takes away from that creative 

spirit that small producers 

want to have.” 

NZ Beer Awards 

Waikato winners 

CHAMPION MICRO NEW ZEALAND BREWERY 

Workshop Brewing 

WHEAT & OTHER GRAIN 

Good George Hefe Mulligan -Trophy Winner 

INTERNATIONAL LAGER 

Good George Pilsner – Silver 

NEW ZEALAND STYLES 

Good George Lager – Silver 

Workshop Brewing Pete’s Pilsner - Silver 

INTERNATIONAL PALE ALE 

Good George Haymaker IPA - Gold 

Workshop Brewing Xpeh! – Gold 

Good George APA - Bronze 

Workshop Brewing Raglan Pale Ale – Bronze 

INDIA PALE ALE 

Workshop Brewing Wakey Jakey – Gold 

JUICY / HAZY 

Good George Fog City – Gold 

Good George Deckchair – Silver 

Good George Haze of Glory – Silver 

SPECIALITY & EXPERIMENTAL 

Good George Cherry Cola Sour – Bronze 

STOUT & PORTER 

Workshop Brewing Chocalot - Silver 

NO & REDUCED ALCOHOL 

Good George Virtual Reality - Silver

4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 

Waikato fabricator bans high-silica 

stone in fight against silicosis 

New Zealand’s largest and only national stone benchtop 

fabricator is banning engineered stone that contains more 

than 40 percent silica – part of its ongoing efforts in the 

fight against silicosis. 

AGB Stone, which 

employs more than 130 

people at its six factories 

across the country including 

Te Rapa premises, will phase 

out high-silica slabs and cease 

working with suppliers who 

cannot meet the company’s 

standards. 

Long-time advocates for 

safe work practices, AGB owners 

Cam and Christine Paranthoiene 

have, for many years, 

led the way stone fabricators 

should operate – including 

creating proprietary processes, 

investing millions of dollars in 

state-of-the-art machinery and 

being early adopters of wet-cutting 

and air monitoring as a 

safeguard against the potentially-fatal 

lung disease silicosis. 

“We want to protect our 

staff, our customers and our 

industry. It’s the right thing to 

do,” Paranthoiene says. 

“It is the single most effective 

and easiest thing that any 

fabricator can do to step change 

the risk of silicosis. We now 

have a viable alternative, so it’s 

time everyone in the industry 

made the change. 

“You cannot have health and 

safety and professionalism, and 

be the cheapest. You will always 

get cheaper but at what cost? 

We feel this is so important 

that we are prepared to take a 

hit to our business [losing customers 

who want a lower priced 

product] in order to make this 

happen.” 

The scale of the danger of 

silicosis from dust emitted 

when stone is dry cut or polished 

was not fully known in the 

industry until 2019. 

Silica levels 

in standard 

engineered stone 

are around 

90 percent 

The New Zealand Engineered 

Stone Advisory Group, 

supported by ACC and Work- 

Safe was established in June 

2019 to ensure the safe practice 

guidelines for stone fabricators 

with AGB instrumental in setting 

up those standards. 

AGB had previously conducted 

rigorous air testing to 

validate the effectiveness of its 

dust management practices. 

The results were less than 

50 percent of the acceptable 

Workplace Exposure Standard 

for any industry. This validation 

reinforced AGB’s commitment 

to exceed minimum 

requirements. 

WorkSafe issued 113 notices 

to 64 businesses that year, 

including 21 prohibition notices 

and 71 improvement notices. 

The following year that rose to 

166 notices to 75 businesses – 

however there were only three 

prohibitions, but 115 improvement 

notices. ACC has received 

140 claims for assessment since 

September 2020. There have 

been no reported deaths in New 

Zealand. 

Paranthoiene feels a total 

ban, as being investigated by 

the Australian government, is 

an excessive and unnecessary 

move – if using low-silica product 

with proper processes in 

place. 

To clearly differentiate from 

standard solutions, AGB has 

created a low-silica engineered 

stone offering – Better Benchtops 

– fabricated using NZE- 

SAG RCS (Respirable Crystalline 

Silica) Accredited methods. 

“Silica levels in standard 

engineered stone are around 

90 percent. By insisting on no 

more than 40 percent silica and 

with robust safety processes, 

Better Benchtops will offer 

peace of mind for our staff and 

customers.” 

It is anticipated that the 

AGB Cam and Christine Paranthoiene 

compliant product will become 

progressively available from 

later this year – and Paranthoiene 

has been encouraged 

by the response from customers 

wholeheartedly supporting 

this initiative. 

Sai Kumar Gannavaram has 

been working at the Te Rapa 

factory for four and a half years 

and he values AGB’s level of 

protection for its staff, compared 

to others in the industry. 

“I have worked in this 

industry for seven years and 

left places where I didn’t feel 

my safety was a priority. AGB 

is way better. I have a mask, 

water-fed tools uniforms and 

warm water.” 

In April, the New Zealand 

Council of Trade Unions urged 

the Government to protect 

workers exposed to hazardous 

material in engineered stone, 

emphasising that terminal 

illnesses such as lung cancer, 

silicosis and other autoimmune 

diseases are preventable 

if proper action is taken. 

In a recent statement, 

Workplace Relations and Safety 

Minister Carmel Sepuloni 

said WorkSafe would revisit 

high-risk businesses, and if 

there were problems, “use all 

enforcement actions available, 

including investigation and 

considering prosecution where 

it is warranted”. 

WorkSafe estimates 60,000 

engineered stone slabs are 

imported each year, and there 

are believed to be approximately 

130 businesses that fabricate 

them into benchtops for 

kitchens, bathrooms and commercial 

premises. 

“AGB is in a unique position, 

as it services all parts of 

New Zealand,” Paranthoiene 

says. “We can use that reach to 

influence fabricators and suppliers 

across the country to follow 

suit.” 

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User Experience (UX) 

and User Interface (UI) 

design are disciplines 

that Company-X clients have 

many questions about. 

Company-X UX lead 

Hohepa (Cory) McKenzie 

and UX/UI consultant Briana 

Christey have decades of experience 

and many answers. 

McKenzie was recently 

named a finalist in the Te 

Hapori Matihiko Awards in 

the Whiua ki te Ao (Take it 

to the World) category for his 

contribution to global projects 

in digital and tech. 

“UX encompasses all 

aspects of a person’s interaction 

with a company’s products 

or services,” said McKenzie. 

“UI involves the design of 

the visual interface.” 

“The visual elements,” 

added Christey, “such as 

typography and icons.” 

“UX design is about how 

people experience the digital 

application and understanding 

how real people will use 

the product to complete tasks 

in the context of their day.” 

“UX and UI ensures the 

product is designed in the best 

way.” 

There is contention in the 

software development industry 

around definitions of both. 

Different schools of thought. 

McKenzie, who lives and 

breathes UX design on Company-X 

projects for US big 

tech company Cisco Systems 

Inc, believes the industry 

could avoid confusion by dropping 

the UI term all together. 

“What I’ve come to realize 

is that you have this perfect 

scenario of UX,” McKenzie 

said. 

“The more I work I do as a 

designer on Cisco projects, and 

the more that I listen to UX 

gurus from around the world, 

the more I realise you must 

pick and choose what aspects 

of the UX you are going to 

focus on. You never really get 

to do the whole thing.” 

McKenzie has over 20 years 

UX experience, working with 

clients such as Cisco Systems 

Inc, Hamilton City Council 

and Te Ringa Maimoa Trans- 


UX and UI design: 

Creating a winning user experience 

Software system designers consider User Experience as integral 

at the start of every project, rather than an optional extra tacked 

on at the end. 

Company-X UX/UI consultant 

Briana Christey. 

port Excellence Partnership. 

When the New Zealand 

Government targeted Māori 

and Pacific Islanders with a letter 

drop encouraging them to 

get vaccinated against COVID- 

19 it focused on the UX. 

“That campaign had no app 

or interface,” McKenzie said. 

“It was all about the user 

experience of receiving a letter. 

The language had to resonate 

with the demographics 

and the graphic design align 

with them as well.” 

Christey has five years UX 

and UI experience, working 

with clients such as business 

management software provider 

Magnetize. 

Company-X led a full product 

development process 

resulting in the design and 

build of an entirely new, easy 

to use, version of Magnetize 

from the ground up. 

“Beginning the Magnetize 

project with in-depth, qualitative 

research set us up for success,” 

Christey said. 

“We talked with a dozen 

businesses in the trades and 

civil construction industries to 

understand the fine details of 

how they run their businesses. 

From this research, we were 

able to fully understand their 

needs, their pain-points and 

in turn, design software that 

delivered exactly what they 

needed: speed-to-work and 

full visibility of jobs. 

“Company-X’ software 

architect Luke McGregor and 

I did the UX research work 

together, which then informed 

user personas, user flows, 

wireframes, roadmap priorities—all 

the details how each 

feature should work.” 

Christey’s research helped 

realise a shift from job management 

to job enablement. 

“With a fresh approach, we 

were able to create some exciting 

features. Business owners 

can schedule a job in literally 

seconds using a simple 

drag and drop calendar, and 

staff can ditch the dreaded 

timesheets by using the simple, 

time logger spinner that 

pre-populates time for you,” 

Christey said. 

“It’s the most rewarding 

thing when people say they can 

literally feel the weight coming 

off their shoulders when 

they see how Magnetize does 

everything, they need it to do, 

and faster than any other tool 

they’ve used.” 

Magnetize’s investment in 

UX research to inform a new 

UI paid off. 

“There’s a growing awareness 

among businesses about 

User Interface Design and 

User Experience Design and 

how fundamental both are to 

creating a successful digital 

product,” Christey said. 

“Many businesses have 

questions about what UX and 

UI design involves, and the 

differences between the two. 

Company-X UX lead Hohepa (Cory) McKenzie, left, was 

recently named a finalist in the Te Hapori Matihiko Awards for 

his contribution to global projects in digital and tech. 

“We employ UX methods 

early on in the project to 

understand our users and the 

journey we want to create for 

them before designing the user 

interface,” Christey said. 

“To give your product the 

best chance of success, it’s 

important to not jump the gun 

by going straight to thinking 

about what the user interface 

could look like. This is where 

a lot of companies fall short; 

without understanding the 

full requirements, the solution 

cannot deliver. 

“As a UX/UI Designer I 

hold myself accountable to 

trusting in the process and the 

methods. There’s been a cou- 

People are interested to understand 

where to even start when 

ple of times in my career so 

far where I’ve been itching to 

designing a new software get started on creating beautiful 

product.” 

UI designs, but I’ve stopped 

Christey reinforces McKenzie’s 

view that UX and UI go 

myself.” 

Christey said her internal 

together in a software development 

monologue goes something 

Awards project. Company-X like: has “Hang won on, by let’s Year just 

have 

a chat with a few more users 

first, and finish the user journey 

mapping.” 

User journey mapping 

includes drawing a flow chart 

of the user’s experience in 

completing a task. 

“By doing those tasks, I’ll 

realise some vital considerations 

I needed to uncover and 

take into the UI design phase. 

“There is a toolkit of UX 

methods we can employ within 

the Software Development 

process to give the product the 

best chance of success. Widely 

used UX methods include user 

interviews, affinity mapping, 

user personas, user journey 

mapping and wireframing.” 

Company-X celebrates a 

decade of growth 

Company-X saw astounding growth in its first decade. Co-founders 

and directors Jeremy Hughes and David Hallett explore why. 

Company-X was 

recognised by Deloitte 

as one of the fastest 

growing technology companies 

in the Asia Pacific region 

for three of its first ten years. 

The Deloitte Fast 500 

is an annual ranking of the 

fastest-growing technology 

companies in North America, 

Europe, and Asia-Pacific. 

The ranking is based on 

percentage revenue growth 

over three years. 

In 2017, the Waikato 

software specialist ranked 

330 on the Deloitte Asia 

Pacific Fast 500 list with a 

revenue growth rate of 138 

per cent. The following year, 

Company-X ranked 387th on 

the list with a revenue growth 

rate of 135 per cent. At the 

same time Company-X was 

named the Fastest Growing 

Technology Company in the 

Central North Island. In 2019, 

Company-X ranked 496th on 

the list with a revenue growth 

rate of 98 per cent. 

Company-X co-founders 

and directors David Hallett 

and Jeremy Hughes said 

Company-X being recognised 

by Deloitte was a testament 

to their team’s hard work and 

dedication to clients. 

“The Deloitte Fast 500 

is widely regarded as one of 

the most objective rankings 

of technology companies 

worldwide,” said Hughes. 

“What drove our growth 

was our success delivering 

on projects and delivering to 

what we quickly uncovered as 

our three key values,” Hughes 

said. 

“Making our clients look 

good, doing what we said 

we’d do and giving our clients 

choices. 

“Those three things gave 

us a history of delivering 

innovative projects, a history 

of service excellence, and 

word-of-mouth did the rest in 

the overseas market and in the 

New Zealand market.” 

Hughes also credits a 

recruitment policy that saw 

the team reach out to likeminded 

and more than 

capable experts. 

“We were phenomenally 

successful in bringing on more 

great people. And I’m happy to 

say, that continues today.” 

Those experts, when 

applied to the right projects, 

helped Company-X win many 

awards. 

“If there’s one thing that 

helped us grow it was making 

people look good,” Hallett 

added. 

“As soon as you make your 

clients look good, they’re 

going to tell their mates, 

‘These guys are the guys. This 

is the team.’ Our reputation 

was enabled through a very 

deliberate methodology of 

hiring the best people for the 

best roles, and the best kind 

of people with the right kind 

of attitudes. What fuelled 

our growth was successful 

outcomes. That created raving 

fans and goodwill in terms of 

referrals both domestically 

and internationally.” 

Company-X co-founders David Hallett, left, and Jeremy Hughes.


Haere rā Covid 

In August 2021, as New Zealand moved into yet another 

Covid-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, the future of tourism in our 

region looked decidedly uncertain. But two years later things 

are very different – our international borders have fully reopened 

and we’ve seen the removal of the last of our country’s 

Covid-19 restrictions, signalling a return to normal life. 

In the time since international 

borders fully reopened 

to most travellers at 11.59pm 

on 31 July 2022, tourism in 

Waikato has recovered at an 

impressive pace. 

Earlier this year, we celebrated 

our first summer season 

with international visitors since 

early 2020. Despite challenges 

with staffing and severe weather 

events that could have derailed 

the summer, our tourism operators 

reported a good season. 

Conferencing has been 

strong over the past 12 months 

and looks set to continue, with 

events like the trans-Tasman 

AuSAE LINC conference and 

the New Zealand aquatic industry’s 

WAVES conference set 

to bring hundreds of business 

travellers to the region in September. 

The incentives market 

is also performing well, with 

Amway – the world’s largest 

direct selling company – choosing 

New Zealand, including 

the Waikato, as the destination 

where it will send the top 

performing employees from 

its China offices as part of its 

incentive programme to motivate 

and reward them. 

Successful events like the 

World Rugby Sevens, international 

cricket fixtures, Fieldays, 

Balloons over Waikato, 

Matariki ki Waikato Festival 

and the NZ Darts Masters 

all add to our reputation 

as a vibrant city and region, 

attracting visitors and boosting 

the economy. 

Most recently we welcomed 

fans and teams from Zambia, 

Japan, Switzerland, Norway, 

Portugal, Vietnam, Costa Rica, 

Argentina and Sweden as part 

of the FIFA Women’s World 

Cup 2023TM. This influx of visitors, 

at what is traditionally a 

quieter period for international 

visitors, has been another boon 

for the region. 

By the numbers, we’ve seen 

13.2 million visitor days to the 

region in the past year, with 88 

per cent of those domestic. Both 

domestic and international visitor 

spend is up on the previous 

12 months, by 18 per cent and 

225 per cent respectively. Hamilton 

City has the top overall 

TELLING 

WAIKATO’S STORY 

BY NICOLA GREENWELL 

Chief executive, Hamilton & 

Waikato Tourism 

commercial accommodation 

occupancy rate for the country 

at 75 per cent, with the rate for 

the region coming in three per 

cent above the national average 

of 57 per cent. 

While more work is needed, 

there has been some good news 

for those struggling to find 

staff, with Immigration New 

Zealand approving close to 

18,000 Accredited Employer 

Work Visas since May last year. 

Cooks and chefs are leading the 

charge into the country, representing 

almost 30 per cent of all 

approved visas. 

New Zealand has also seen 

more than 60,000 Working 

Holiday Visas approved since 

March last year, with an additional 

32,276 granted under 

special direction from the Minister 

of Immigration due to the 

impacts of being unable to enter 

New Zealand during the Covid- 

19 pandemic. Working Holiday 

Visas offer dual benefits for the 

tourism and hospitality sectors, 

by bringing people who are 

both visitors and workers into 

the country. 

Perhaps the most exciting 

news is that this all doesn’t look 

like slowing anytime soon. Our 

operators across the region are 

reporting strong interest and 

bookings for the upcoming September/October 

school holidays, 

and beyond into the 2023- 

24 summer season. 

Our international markets 

are now all back on stream, 

with Australia and North America 

leading the way. This is supported 

by increasing air connectivity 

into New Zealand, with 

several more airlines announcing 

their return to New Zealand 

later this year. 

Ten airlines, including Air 

New Zealand, Qantas, United 

Airlines, Delta and American 

Airlines, are now offering flights 

between New Zealand and the 

United States or Canada and 

the next couple of months will 

see 46 per cent more capacity 

– 300,000 more seats – 

from North America than last 

summer, with some airlines 

offering more seats than before 

the pandemic. 

The Tourism Export Council 

of New Zealand (TECNZ) 

International Arrival Forecasts 

2023-2025 is forecasting a 

return of 80.4% pre-Covid total 

arrivals by year ending June 

2024 and 100% by year ending 

June 2025. 

As we move into this new 

era Tourism New Zealand and 

Regional Tourism Organisations 

(RTO’s) are focused on 

attracting high quality visitors 

– those that enrich our 

communities and create value 

more broadly for the benefit 

of our people, our place, and 

collective prosperity. 

The challenge for all of us 

is to be ready to leverage these 

opportunities – something I 

have no doubt we’re up for. 

Housing Affordability: are 

we solving the right problem? 

A 

number of conversations 

recently have 

led me to ask whether 

we are focusing our collective 

problem solving attention 

on the right part of the 

problem with regards to 

housing affordability. 

Last month I wrote about 

several new building technologies 

and speculated as to 

the potential of technology 

and automation to improve 

productivity in the construction 

sector. I’ve also previously 

touched on inefficiencies 

related to the often 

segmented, siloed work of 

different parties in property 

development and the need for 

a more joined up end-to-end 

development approach. 

However, while they may 

help to bring down building 

costs over time, neither of these 

are likely to result in immediate 

improvements in the cost of 

new housing of the magnitude 

required to make it ‘affordable’. 

And despite recent drops, and 

changes to tax settings, the 

price of existing housing stock 

remains high and continues to 

enjoy a significant advantage 

over other investment options 

for those who have existing 

LANDMARKS 

BY PHIL MACKAY 

Phil Mackay is Business 

Devolpment Manger at 

Hamilton-based PAUA, 

Procuta Associates Urban + 

Architecture 

equity to leverage. 

Some councils are testing 

the idea of measures that 

would require developers to 

include a certain percentage 

of ‘affordable’ houses in new 

developments. While well-intentioned, 

I’m sceptical as to 

whether this would result in 

desirable outcomes. In the 

best case scenario such measures 

would only solve the 

affordability problem for the 

first purchaser, thereafter the 

market would again dictate 

the price. 

Organisations such as 

Bridge Housing are implementing 

innovative models to 

make home ownership available 

to those on more modest 

incomes, while others are 

exploring co-housing concepts 

and Māori hapū are initiating 

papakāinga developments to 

house their whānau. 

Rather than focusing on 

affordable owner-occupied 

housing, if the core issue is providing 

places for people to live, 

more consideration should be 

given to building appropriate 

rental housing. 

The Property Council has 

been advocating for measures 

to enable more ‘Build-torent’ 

developments in NZ for 

some time and their website 

offers excellent background on 

the concept. 

In a nutshell, build-to-rent 

refers to developments of reasonable 

scale built specifically 

for rental, professionally 

managed and typically owned 

by investors who have shares 

rather than individual unit 

titles. For the landlord, provided 

certain criteria are met, 

build-to-rent properties are 

exempt from interest limitation 

rules and therefore eligible for 

interest deductibility, unlike 

other investment property. 

For tenants there are a 

number of benefits. To qualify 

for interest deductibility tenants 

must be offered a rental 

term of 10 years, so security 

of tenure is significantly better 

than a typical market rental. 

Also, when the intention 

is for long-term rental, developers 

will generally build to 

meet the needs of occupiers, 

rather than to meet the market 

for sales. This can mean more 

diversity of types and sizes of 

home, and also more focus 

on providing amenities such 

as shared lounges or outdoor 

areas, gyms, or on-site cafes. 

Similarly, when long-term 

maintenance costs are a key 

consideration, it makes sense 

to invest in the quality of materials 

and worksmanship. 

As build-to-rent properties 

are professionally managed, 

maintenance requests 

are dealt with quickly, rather 

than having to deal with private 

landlords who potentially 

don’t have the time, money 

or inclination to resolve 

issues appropriately. 

Addressing housing supply 

and affordability is a complex 

challenge requiring a range of 

solutions. We absolutely must 

find ways of building houses 

more affordably. However, 

home ownership may not be 

a realistic goal for everyone, 

and we have a responsibility 

to make sure that everyone in 

NZ has access to safe, suitable, 

places to live. Build-to-rent is 

another tool we can use.


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Braemar expansion caters 

for growing complex needs 

Hamilton’s Braemar Hospital has 

become the second largest private 

hospital in New Zealand with the 

completion of a new $6.5m 18-bed 

surgical wing. 

The new wing, the final 

part of the second stage 

of the charitable hospital’s 

development was opened 

recently by the outgoing 

Braemar Charitable Trust chair 

Victoria Ashplant. 

It brings the number of 

beds to 109, making the hospital 

New Zealand’s second largest 

private hospital on a single 

site, after St George’s Hospital 

in Christchurch, with 115 beds. 

Braemar Hospital chief 

executive Fiona Michel said the 

milestone was another significant 

achievement in the hospital’s 

97-year history. 

“We are proud of the growth 

achieved, but also of our continued 

commitment to recognising 

and serving the needs of 

the Waikato community.” 

She said an awareness of 

changing social and clinical 

needs in the population dictated 

decisions to expand, to 

buy new equipment and to provide 

space which helped healing. 

The new wing has a dedicated 

whaanau room where 

family can have private time 

while accessing outdoor space 

on the roof garden. 

“We always take a holistic 

approach to design. Optimal 

healing requires us to meet a 

range of needs.” 

The hospital has also been 

actively supporting the public 

health system. 

“Private hospitals are now 

a very significant part of the 

health solution. Last year, 

Braemar experienced an 

incredible upswing in patient 

demand. We have had record 

numbers of patients (over 

1000 a month). There are well 

documented bottlenecks in 

healthcare. We need to ensure 

each part of the supply chain 

is able to cope and that we are 

not restrained by availability 

of staff, post-theatre beds and 

equipment – so developments 

like our new wing will make 

a tangible difference for our 

community.” 

Braemar was also seeing 

patients with increasingly complex 

needs. “Not all private 

hospitals have the capability 

to support complex cases that 

need one-on-one care, but it’s 

something that Braemar has 

always been committed to.” 

Investment in equipment 

and clinical innovation continued 

to drive decisions around 

future capacity and efficiency. 

The hospital’s most recent purchase 

was a Velys robot used 

in knee surgery. “New tech can 

improve recovery times. Procedures 

are more targeted and 

the patient impact is reduced.” 

Technological advances also 

affect throughput, which influences 

future planning. “Technology 

provides solutions over 

time. What hospitals may have 

considered essential years ago, 

may have already been solved 

by technological innovation. 

Leading-edge is constantly 

being redefined in health.” 

The hospital has plans to 

further expand on its 4ha site 

beside Waikato Hospital. The 

hospital currently has nearly 

Waste to energy 

plant application live 

A 

proposal to construct a waste to 

energy plant in Te Awamutu has been 

reactivated. 

An application to build the plant at 401 

Racecourse Road was first lodged with Waipā 

District Council by Global Contracting Solutions 

in December 2021. The proposed plant 

will incinerate 150,000 tonnes of waste annually 

which will be used to generate electric 

power from steam. 

Global Contracting Solutions first lodged 

the application seeking a non-notified resource 

consent. This is a shorter and simpler process 

but would not allow public input. Resource 

consents are required when proposed activities 

do not comply with the council’s District Plan. 

In September 2022, council advised that 

Braemar CEO Fiona Michel and Braemar 

patient services manager Sheree Smith 

Walk on the wild side with the Boon tours 

200 credentialed specialists, 

11 operating theatres and five 

HDU/ICU beds. 

public notification would be required. This 

allows any member of the public, or organisation, 

to make submissions. 

Global Contracting Solutions has now paid 

the fee required for the resource consent application, 

meaning the consent application is now 

live. The company is also seeking a resource 

consent from the Waikato Regional Council 

relating to discharge contaminants into the air. 

That is also a publicly-notified process. 

The resource consent applications will be 

considered jointly by both councils. 

Public submissions on the proposal will 

open from Friday, September 15 and will close 

on Friday, 13 October 2023. Public notices 

advising the process will be placed in local 

newspapers. 

Ever walked down a 

Hamilton street only 

to be stopped in your 

tracks by a stunning mural? 

Behold the work of Boon 

Arts, a charitable trust transforming 

the city since 2017 

with the aim of ‘art everywhere, 

everyday’. 

Boon murals are plentiful 

in Hamilton's city centre, but 

few know the stories behind 

them, or even how many lurk 

in the hidden alleyways of 

Kirikiriroa. Enter the Boon 

Street Art Walking Tours! 

For over one hour, their 

knowledgeable guides (many 

of them artists themselves) 

will help you discover the 

secrets of some of the 70-plus 

murals around Hamilton City. 

Sponsored by Love the 

Centre, the tours run every 

Saturday through spring, from 

the Saturday, September 2 

until Saturday, November 25. 

Tours leave from Love The 

Centre, 10 Garden Place at 

2pm, and take you around a 

two block radius. It’s not far 

to walk and there’s a tonne of 

stories to keep you entranced. 

These immersive tours are 

the perfect opportunity to see 

the world at a slower pace and 

to really take in the vibrancy 

and creativity of Hamilton. 

Tour organiser Sasha 

McLaren says people love 

discovering or rediscovering 

parts of the city they’ve never 

seen before. 

Sprinkled throughout is 

some of the rich history and 

kaupapa of Boon Arts, including 

some surprising stories of 

the who’s and why’s behind 

how these stunning murals 

came to be. 

“I loved slowing down and 

seeing the city in a new way… 

This tour was very engaging 

and I've learnt lots about the 

mural culture in our community," 

says a previous attendee. 

Boon also offer a range 

of private bespoke tours, for 

individuals, school groups, 

small groups or whole teams. 

These group tours are 

ideal for businesses wanting 

something different for their 

team building and typically 

finish up with a drink and 

nibbles somewhere fabulous 

- cocktails at Wonderhorse 

anyone? 

You can also book an 

immersive private art tour, 

which has a muralist as your 

exclusive guide, and includes 

a tour of their vibrant and 

active art studio. These can 

be arranged by contacting 

sasha@boonarts.co.nz 

With every tour booked 

you’ll be supporting Boon’s 

vision of more ‘art everywhere, 

everyday’ and providing 

an income for the creative 

industries in Kirikiriroa. 

Take a walk on the wild side 

and book your tickets at www. 

eventfinda.co.nz/2023/boonstreet-art-walking-tours/ 

hamilton. 

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Get connected to Electric 

Vehicles – the smart way. 

ews 

If you’re out and about on any 

New Zealand road these days, and 

you’ll likely see Electric Vehicles 

(EVs). They’re becoming quite 

commonplace on our roads, 

and there’s a good chance that 

we may have helped a few of 

those get up and running! 

That’s because as the world shifts to using 

more sustainable energy sources, we’re 

using our energy experience and practical 

insights to help businesses make the move 

to EVs – for good. Using our experience 

and smart infrastructure ideas, we help put 

businesses on the road to sustainability 

faster, smarter and at just the right price. 

Because of this We.EV has seized the 

opportunity to lead the way in supporting 

businesses to transition their fleets to EVs 

by investigating, designing, installing and 

provide an end-to-end solution to meet the 

customers’ needs to minimise costs now 

and into the future. Community owned, 

our vision is simple; to help businesses 

shape a better, more renewable future 

We guide and support businesses who 

want to make the shift to EVs with specific 

plans and infrastructure that’s flexible, costeffective, 

and can expand as your EV fleet 

does. From accurate advice to on-the-ground 

planning, every customer we work with has 

unique needs and goals. So whether your 

fleet of EVs is large or small, or you’re even 

just at the early stages of thinking about 

it – it pays to talk to the local experts first. 

How to get started on 

your EV transformation 

So, you can make the change once, and 

do it properly, there are a number of things 

you’ll need to look at, says Craig Marshall, 

Head of We.EV. He explains it should start 

with good advice before you start laying 

cables. “There are a lot of people out there 

who are keen to help with suggestions 

and hardware. But it all starts with solid 

advice that simply comes from handson 

experience. We’ve been working with 

energy for decades. And we’ve seen cases 

where clients were told to invest hundreds 

of thousands of dollars, when in fact they 

needed nothing of the sort for their usage.” 

So, if you’re ready to make the smarter 

EV infrastructure choice and you’re ready 

to take your sustainability goals up a 

gear – get in touch with the EV experts. 

0800 800 935 | we-ev.co.nz 

Driving 

brighter 

business 

futures. 

From advice and planning 

to design and build, We.EV 

helps businesses become 

future-ready with their 

Electric Vehicle charging 

infrastructure. So whether 

your fleet of EVs is large or 

small, or you’re even just 

thinking about it – it pays to 

talk to the local experts first. 

we-ev.co.nz


The Red Shed 

fosters the arts 

Like any small business, the business of 

art can be a hard road travelled, Māori 

multidisciplinary artist Daniel Ormsby 

(Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kaputuhi, Ngāti 

Uekaha) uses his years of experience to 

guide up-and-coming artists through 

the roadblocks on their journey. 

The Business of Art 

EXPLORING THE CREATIVES IN THE BUSINESS OF ART 

You can’t miss The Red 

Shed where Daniel is 

based, it’s on the road 

that leads to one of the country’s 

best-known tourist spots – 

the Waitomo caves. 

Opened seven years ago, 

The Red Shed is not just a space 

for creating art it is also a place 

for creative thought and learning 

to flow, and many artists 

have passed through its doors. 

“It was just an idea as everything 

else is. I was in a comfort 

zone working from home. The 

home is a very comfortable 

place but it also has limitations. 

I just recognised the need for 

myself to grow,” he says. 

Daniel and a couple of 

friends decided to rent a house 

locally and the building that 

would become the Red Shed 

was available. 

Housed in one of the oldest 

buildings in Waitomo, they 

set about transforming it into 

a gallery and studio space with 

an adjoining covered work 

area outside. 

“It’s about 135 years old, at 

least. But it’s perfect for what 

we do. It’s not a sterile environment 

so it doesn’t matter 

if we can drop paint. It’s a 

great creative environment,” 

Daniel says. 

“We’re in prime location just 

before the village so everyone 

has to go past us, which is the 

blessing and a curse.” 

The curse of it being the 

time it takes from creating 

art to extend manaakitanga 

(hospitality) to visitors, 

Daniel says. 

In the past few years, The 

Red Shed has become less of 

a public gallery and more of a 

place to do the work of creating; 

it was a key learning that came 

out of Covid for Daniel. 

“It’s been a bit of a flux 

and we’ve diminished the gallery 

aspect of it because we 

weren’t getting any work done,” 

he laughs. 

“When Covid came the tourism 

slowed down and we closed 

the doors and discovered that 

we were getting so much more 

work done.” 

An established artist for 

many years, Daniel knows he 

has the luxury of already having 

his name out there. 

His tā moko (tattoo) bookings 

fill up quickly, his carvings 

and paintings are widely sought 

after and there’s always commission 

work on offer. 

Because of this success, 

Daniel mentors other creatives 

as they set out to make a career 

in the fickle world of art. 

“I’m a bit of a helper. I think 

it’s just an extension of who I 

am. I was doing arts in a time 

when I was mocked for it or told 

to get a real job. I went through 

the hard times and just pointing 

out potholes so others don’t 

have to stand in them or to 

accelerate people so they don’t 

have to struggle.” 

From a shearing family, 

Daniel formally started his art 

journey nearly 30 years ago 

at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa 

but he had been carving well 

before that. 

He studied contemporary 

art during the day and carved 

at night, and graduated with a 

double major in contemporary 

and traditional art. 

He then went on to tutor at 

the wānanga and also did a stint 

in the marketing department, 

which helped build an important 

skill set in any business. 

It’s this marketing skill that 

Daniel puts to good use on 

Facebook, which is where most 

of his work sells. 

“I’ve really only ever used 

Daniel Ormsby 

Facebook. My timing with 

Facebook coincided with my tā 

moko career. I had a style that 

was quite different and it stood 

out at that time. People would 

comment on my work and 

others would see and it grew 

from there.” 

In the early days of his 

career, Daniel became a single 

father on the DPB and 

he used this time to learn te 

reo and continued honing his 

creative skills. He worked in 

his own home before being 

given the opportunity to use 

a shed by a local drug and 

alcohol, mental health and 

wellbeing organisation. 

“In return I volunteered to 

take troubled youth two to three 

days a week. Because nothing’s 

free and the work ethic 

I got from my parents made it 

important to me to feel that I’m 

giving back.” 

Daniel continues this philosophy 

of giving back in the 

opportunities he provides at 

The Red Shed. 

Opportunities for emerging 

artist to work alongside 

established artists, for artists 

to gather and work alongside 

each other and tonnes of opportunities 

for inspiration and art 

kōrero (discussion). 

And because of the work 

ethic he gained from his parents, 

Daniel expects a lot from 

the people who use the space. 

“You’ve got to want to do 

the work. A lot of people would 

like to just come and hang out 

because of the atmosphere, but 

you have to be working. Your 

work shows if you’re talented, 

and also if you’ve got the ethic.” 

Like any business, the team 

culture is an important part 

of ‘hiring’ and fitting in with 

the values of The Red Shed is 

important to Daniel. 

“I’ve got a tikanga (principles) 

and mauri (spirit) here 

where no one’s better than anyone 

else.” 

Artists at a Red Shed workshop 

It can also be a place of healing 

for the artists that spend 

time at the shed. 

“Artists are drawn to the 

energies present at shed,” 

he says. “The arts help many 

reconnect with a sense of 

meaning and purpose in their 

lives, particularly when they’ve 

passed through trauma or have 

reached a spot in life where 

growth is required.” 

And while Daniel may have 

been in the business of art for 

decades, he’s not afraid to re-examine 

his business practices. 

Last year he attended Creative 

Waikato course Elevate 

with a number of other artists 

involved in the shed. 

The nine-month programme 

supported creative 

practitioners to investigate how 

they could have achievable, 

financially viable and sustainable 

creative careers. 

“I had to do it because 

I forced everyone else to,” 

he laughs. 

“But I got so much out of it. 

You just get deeper roots. I’d get 

by on a strategy of just do the 

art and face the business side 

of things it as it comes. That’s 

good to a point. But then it gets 

messy. So, it’s a necessary topic 

for artists – you can’t run from 

it forever. You’ve got to deal 

with all that stuff.”


Tech Talk: The 

future of agricultural 

innovation 

The future of agricultural innovation is 

reliant on the sector being more open 

with its data. 

This was my key message 

at a panel discussion I 

was invited to participate 

in at the National Agricultural 

Fieldays in Hamilton 

by the NZ Institute of Primary 

Industry Management. 

Open, or freely available, 

data would help farmers to 

collaborate with each other 

and other stakeholders in the 

agricultural sector. Such collaboration 

could lead to the 

development of new technologies 

and practices that would 

benefit the entire sector. 

At a higher, 

industry-wide, 

level open data 

could help 

farmers identify 

new markets. 

Open data can provide 

farmers with the information 

they need to make better, 

data-led, decisions about 

crop planting, fertilising, 

animal health, pest control, 

and many other aspects of 

their operations. 

Using open data to benchmark 

would enable the sector 

to make more data-led decisions 

and allow improvements 

in operations, yields, and 

environmental impact. 

The New Zealand transport 

sector has done both 

of these things by sharing 

its data through the world’s 

first national transport quality 

assurance tool, Transport 

Insights, built by Company-X. 

Open data can be used 

to track the environmental 

impact of agriculture. This 

information can be used to 

develop more sustainable 

agricultural practices, such as 

reducing the use of pesticides 

and fertilisers. 

At a higher, industry-wide, 

level open data could help 

farmers identify new markets. 

Plenty of organisations 

are interfacing with primary 

industries around the 

world and using open data 

to innovate. 

Trust Alliance New Zealand 

(TANZ) is working with 

open data to help make the 

primary sector more transparent, 

efficient, and sustainable. 

Its Data Hub is a repository of 

open data related to the primary 

sector. Its Digital Farm 

Environment Plan project 

is developing a digital platform 

that will allow farmers 

to share their environmental 

data with other stakeholders, 

such as government agencies 

and retailers. Its Digital 

Wallet project is developing 

a secure and convenient way 

for farmers to store and share 

their data. 

The Food and Agriculture 

Organisation of the 

United Nations Sustainable 

TECH TALK 

BY DAVID HALLETT 

David Hallett is a co-founder 

of software specialist 

Company-X. 

Agriculture and Rural Development 

Knowledge Platform 

provides open data on a variety 

of sustainable agriculture 

topics. Its Aquastat database 

provides open data and is also 

being used to track data on 

water use in agriculture. This 

information can be used to 

develop more efficient water 

management practices in the 

face of climate change. 

The Global Open Data for 

Agriculture and Nutrition 

initiative is working to make 

agricultural data more accessible 

and usable to help farmers 

track crop yields over time. 

This will help them identify 

areas where yields are low, 

and to develop interventions 

to improve yields. 

The World Resources Institute's 

Food Loss and Waste 

Data Explorer uses open data 

to track food production, distribution, 

and consumption. 

This information can be used 

to identify ways to reduce food 

waste, which is a major problem 

in the agricultural sector. 

Open data has the potential 

to transform the agricultural 

sector. The future of agricultural 

innovation is reliant on 

open data. 

CONVERSATIONS WITH MIKE NEALE OF 

NAI HARCOURTS HAMILTON 

Mike Neale, Managing Director, NAI Harcourts Hamilton 

Landmark Office Tower - 

Primed for Repositioning 

Anglesea Tower in Hamilton’s 

central business district is on the 

market for sale, offering an opportunity 

to redevelop the seven-level building 

and position it for the future. 

A familiar part of the Hamilton skyline 

since 1987, the building sits atop the former 

Farmers Centre podium at 218 Anglesea 

Street. Its sale presents an exceptional 

value-add opportunity in the heart of Hamilton’s 

CBD, said Mike Neale of NAI Harcourts, 

who is handling the sale alongside 

Warren Hutt of CBRE. 

“With the sole remaining tenant in the 

building, the Ministry of Social Development, 

due to vacate their premises in late 

2024, this versatile asset can be considered 

a blank canvas for potential redevelopment 

into modern office space or repositioning 

into apartments, student accommodation, 

a hotel or a combination of uses.” 

The 5,742sqm building, which is for sale 

by deadline private treaty closing at 4pm on 

Thursday 21 September, contains six office 

floors of around 960sqm each, along with 

the potential for future development of a 

panoramic roof terrace. 43 secure car parks 

are situated on the lowest level (level four). 

The existing lease generates net passing 

income of $385,855 a year, providing 

desirable holding income while the new 

owner plans their redevelopment, which 

could add significant value to the property 

given its excellent location and attributes. 

“The building’s close proximity to Wintec 

Te Pūkenga’s city campus opens up a 

potential opportunity for student accommodation. 

Alternatively, the tower’s prime 

location adjoining the world-class Union 

Square office and retail development 

makes it a perfect candidate for conversion 

into a hotel or apartments.” 

Union Square is an impressive 

23,000sqm development spread over five 

buildings combining retail, office, and lifestyle 

amenities. Tenants include Rabobank, 

AA Insurance, Craigs IP and Baker Tilly 

Staples Rodway, along with the recently 

opened car park building providing 320 

spaces plus extensive end of trip facilities. 

“Union Square’s premium-grade office 

space and focus on employee wellness 

and enjoyment has proved highly successful 

for the businesses which have relocated 

there, in terms of attracting and retaining 

staff. The popularity of this precinct will be 

considered a big plus for anyone planning a 

redevelopment of the Anglesea Tower next 

door.” 

The current ownership of more than 20 

years has made the call to divest the building, 

which given its secure car parking and 

spectacular views, offers an ideal package 

for future occupiers. 

“The office floors provide amazing panoramic 

views over the city of Hamilton and 

also captures excellent sunlight, while the 

vista is equally mesmerising at night with 

glittering lights extending into the distance.” 

Lift and stair access to the tower is provided 

via a main entrance foyer on Anglesea 

Street, with an alternative entry point 

from the level four car park. It is part of a 

unit titled complex which also includes the 

KPMG building, along with the large podium 

featuring retail space and car parking. 

The property’s strategic location is further 

cemented by the core CBD hospitality 

precinct just 200m away, along with the 

Hamilton Transport Centre bus station a few 

blocks up Anglesea Street. 

“The Anglesea Tower’s strategic location 

and multiple possibilities for refurbishment 

or conversion make it a highly compelling 

prospect for property investors and developers. 

Its seamless accessibility to key amenities 

and the thriving Union Square development 

make it ideally placed to capitalise on 

the continuing growth and evolution of the 

Hamilton CBD.” 

The building, located near the corner of 

Anglesea and Collingwood Streets, is also 

within easy reach of the Centre Place shopping 

mall, new $75 million Waikato Regional 

Theatre development, Te Awa cycleway and 

river walks and Sky City casino complex. 

Its location on a CBD arterial route also 

ensures vehicle accessibility to the north and 

south of the city, while Hamilton Airport is 

just 15 minutes away, providing a significant 

opportunity for a new owner. 

While the owners have made the decision, 

the potential is to unlock the opportunity. 

For further information, call today: 

Mike Neale 

Warren Hutt 

Ph 027 4515133 Ph 027 562 2244 

Email mike.neale Email warren. 

@naiharcourts.co.nz hutt@cbre.co.nz 

Monarch Commercial Ltd CBRE (Agency) Ltd 

NAI Harcourts Hamilton 

Monarch Commercial Ltd MREINZ Licensed 

Agent REAA 2008 

Cnr Victoria & London Streets, HAMILTON 

07 850 5252 | hamilton@naiharcourts.co.nz 

www.naiharcourts.co.nz

Out & 

AB 

UT 

Chamber hosts National 

The Waikato Chamber of Commerce hosted Christopher 

Luxon, Chris Bishop and Simeon Brown in July 

at a Building Infrastructure to Move the Country 

Forward event. 

The aim of the event was to provide Waikato businesspeople 

with the opportunity to hear National’s transport and 

infrastructure plans should they form the next government. 

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A Holland Road 

Classic Gin wins gold 

at Australian awards 

Local gin maker Terry Rillstone has made his mark at the 

2023 Australian Gin Awards with some old favourites and a 

new Holland Road gin. 

Attaining gold in the 

classic gin category, the 

newly released Holland 

Road entry was one of 17 entries 

to attain gold out of 58 classic 

gins from Australia and New 

Zealand distilleries. 

The Holland Road Wild Ginseng 

and Manuka Honey picked 

up a silver and the Pink Grapefruit 

and the Kawakawa and 

Green Tea were both awarded 

bronze. 

“I was pretty happy to go up 

against some pretty well-known 

distilleries and big names from 

Australia and New Zealand.” 

These awards come on the 

back of wins at the 2022 New 

Zealand Spirits Awards where 

the Holland Road Sauvignon 

Blanc and Green Tea attained 

double gold, a gold for the Pink 

Grapefruit and the Kawakawa 

and Wild Ginseng and Manuka 

Honey came away with silver. 

It was after the NZ awards 

that Terry decided to take on 

the challenge of crafting a classic 

London gin. 

All of his gins are tested on 

friends and family, and Terry 

takes on their feedback as he 

develops the flavour profiles. 

The six-months he spent 

tweaking the recipe for the Holland 

Road Classic paid off at the 

Australian Gin Awards. 

“I entered the awards on 

those changes without really 

market testing it too much. Yeah, 

I was happy with the result. Like 

the awards last year, I entered 

just to get some feedback.” 

Based in Eureka and operating 

out of a humble home garage 

set-up, Terry started brewing 

gin in a one-litre copper about 

eight years ago. 

What started as a hobby has 

grown to a commercially operation 

in the past three years. 

It’s an impressive set up 

now, with a state-of-the-art copper 

still, several stainless-steel 

holding tanks and all the gear 

required to craft and bottle 

award-winning gins. 

Now that he’s riding a high 

with the Holland Road Classic 

Gin, Terry is developing a new 

spirit range that he’s keeping 

under wraps at the moment but 

hopes it will be ready to launch 

early next year. 

“After I'd done this forth 

gin, I just thought I've got to do 

something completely different. 

There are so many gins out there 

now on and you can keep adding 

different botanicals and keep 

doing it, and that's great. But the 

market is a bit saturated with 

gin,” he says. 

“Like everything, it takes 

a little bit of time and is quite 

complicated. The new range will 

definitely showcase some interesting 

and not so well-known 

New Zealand botanicals.” 

The new spirit range will 

have a new look, that is also currently 

being developed. 

The Holland Road gin 

branding features an image of 

a 17th century plague doctor 

and might seem inspired now 

but little did Terry know that 

the Covid pandemic was just 

around the corner when he went 

commercial. 

Hidden behind crow-like 

masks, plague doctors relied on 

the innate power of botanicals 

both as protective talismans and 

as a source of natural healing. 

Inspired by these ancient 

traditions, Terry sources natural 

botanicals long used for 

their protective qualities, he 

particularly favours New Sealed 

native botanicals, including 

pohutukawa stamen, harakeke 

seeds, kawakawa berries and 

leaves, totora and the bark of a 

100-year-old rimu. 

Just like the growth in popularity 

of craft beers, gin has seen 

a resurgence in New Zealand. 

The handful of commercial 

distilleries in New Zealand 15 

years ago has grown to almost 

150, with about 85% specialising 

in gin. Most of these, like Holland 

Road, are boutique, handcrafted 

operations. 

Visit www.hollandroad.co.nz 

to find out more. 

Dear Skilled Prime Migrant Minister Category 

Hipkins… 

residence changes… 

Its Election Time (again!) 

– a time to reflect… 

Obtaining Congratulations residence on your is the promotion, main motivating and for factor this for timely 

migrants opportunity to relocate to contribute from around our 30+ the years world of to experience New Zealand in 

and New the Zealand SMC has immigration historically work been to the help main inform pathway your for thinking 

migrants about your to approach obtain New to Zealand the immigration residence. portfolio. 

It is tradition that immigration is a hot 

topic at election time, but this year there 

has been very little rhetoric. Normally the 

various political parties are promoting for 

more, or less, migrants or particular policies 

around The certain current categories SMC requires of migrants applicants but 

nothing 

Historically 

to (as score a total 

the 

of 

immigration 

180 points under 

portfolio 

yet). 

a So what range have was of criteria seen been as based the somewhat “immigration 

their of job, 

a 

take-outs” work experience, 

poisoned 

of the last qualifications, 

chalice, 

six years 

and 

of age the 

it was 

etc current - but 

not 

Government? 

this 

until 

is 

the 

all about 

first 

to 

John 

change! 

Key government in 

2008 

Firstly, From 

that 

9 this October 

this 

period 

approach 

the revised was 

changed, 

significantly SMC 

and 

will 

impacted require 

immigration 

a by total the 

began 

of Covid just 

to 

border 6 

be 

points 

viewed 

closures which 

more 

and, will 

as 

generally comprise 

an economic 

speaking, points 

tool 

for the 

rather 

either management 

than 

vocational 

just 

of 

a means 

immigratiotration, 

regis- 

to protect 

during or 

New 

recognised the 

Zealand 

initial border qualifications 

jobs. The 

closure 

immigration 

period (minimum 

was appropriate, 

portfolio 

bachelor 

has 

degree), in 

since 

a difficult 

developed 

or remuneration and dynamic 

into one 

- 

environment. and 

of significant 

points for However, up 

strategic 

to 3 years 

importance 

the of closure New Zealand 

which 

went 

on skilled 

influences 

too long work and 

many 

experience. the 

aspects 

reality Applicants 

of 

of families 

New Zealand 

being must 

unnecessarily have 

society, 

(or 

workforce 

have separated an offer 

and 

for 

the 

of) extended 

economy. 

skilled employment 

periods, 

Immigration 

and a reluctance with 

is now a 

Immigration to 

key 

effect 

Government 

change, NZ was accredited 

portfolio. 

not justifiable. 

employer, 

Looking 

As a be consequence, 

at 

aged 

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55 

big 

years 

picture. 

too or younger, many families meet 

and the businesses 

New 

required 

Zealand 

English experienced 

should 

standard, 

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rest 

and hardship, 

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its 

of 

and good 

laurels 

their health 

and 

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expect 

and has character. 

that 

been 

it continues 

slow The and assessment 

to 

painful. 

be one 

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of 

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the 

whether 

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introduction 

desired 

the employment 

migrant 

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as 

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it is 

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not, 

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migrants the 

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median 

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– currently caught 

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during job 

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border and whether closure. 

that we 

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do 

This applicant 

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105,000 qualified 

country. 

migrant to work workers, in the role. and their families 

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and, 

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employers 

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no longer enjoy the competitive advantages 

suitably credentialled to employ migrant 

workers, and to reduce migrant exploitation. 

After being delayed by Covid the AEWV was 

finally introduced in late 2022. By any measure 

the new regime has not resulted in a 

more The “simple” bottom line policy, is that with for changes many workers having 

(eg; 

we 

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bakers, made 

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hairdressers, on 

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for many enquiry of the 

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avoided 

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if the Government 

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robust 

and well-planned 

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policy 

(180 more point) 

settings, 

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outset will 

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remain 

pressure-test 

to fully understand in place 

such 

until the 

settings 

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and ramifications 

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Interest 

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residence months 

The 

for 

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during their applications this time, 

Commission 

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report 

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immigration 

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of and 

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provide 

move 

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overriding 

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guidance 

will applications. 

(ideology!) 

achieve their While 

to 

objective 

inform 

this transition 

policy 

of simplifying 

settings 

has proved 

with 

this very 

a 

residence 

focus 

exasperating 

on 

pathway. 

what 

immigration 

at times, However, with 

can 

different the 

deliver 

reality online is 

for 

that platforms 

the good 

many and 

of 

migrant 

New 

ongoing 

Zealand 

technical workers, 

in the 

and issues, 

longer 

many there 

term. 

in is skill light shortage 

end 

at the 

What 

roles, of the the tunnel. 

about 

fact that 

a 

they 

work-from-homein-NZ 

no longer have a 

viable In summary path 

visa? 

to residence 

People 

this Government’s 

could 

must influence 

live 

legacy 

in New 

their has 

initial 

Zealand 

been one decision of 

and 

many to 

work 

come changes, to 

anywhere 

NZ, not and the also 

in 

least what 

the 

of 

job 

world, 

which roles is they 

now 

having focus 

that 

four on. Immigration 

would 

As always 

really 

with Ministers immigration 

put 

New 

in the 

Zealand 

last changes four 

on 

there years!! 

the 

will We 

map! 

always can 

Yes 

only be 

- 

winners 

Prime 

wonder 

& 

Minister! 

what losers changes (ask any the Minister next Government of Immigration!) will make! 

Level 2 

586 Victoria Street 

Hamilton 3204 

Level 3 

50 Manners Street 

Wellington 6011 

07 834 9222 

enquiries@pathwaysnz.com 

Level 2 

586 Victoria Street 

Hamilton 3204 

pathwaysnz.com 

Level 3 

50 Manners Street 

Wellington 6011


Noughts and crosses - is the property 

market swinging from over to under-supply? 

I seem to love talking about circles 

and cycles, but this month’s column 

is centred around the opposite - the 

cross-shaped graph of supply and 

demand, with equilibrium sitting 

smack in the centre. 

It’s a simple economic 

concept, and it’s one that’s 

become synonymous with 

the property market in recent 

years. Kiwis flooded home 

during and immediately after 

the height of the COVID-19 

pandemic, which impacted the 

demand for housing here in 

New Zealand and caused house 

prices to increase at unprecedented 

rates. 

But what’s interesting about 

this is how quickly the pendulum 

is swinging back, and 

how “lower supply and higher 

demand” is now starting to 

affect how property is priced. 

For the first time in nearly 

two years I heard an agent 

this week say, “we haven’t got 

enough properties to sell”, 

and this characteristic is being 

driven by a few factors I find 

quite interesting. 

Economic commentators 

and even the RBNZ have 

started rhetoric that the bottom 

of the property market 

has been and gone this cycle, 

and this is starting to spread 

its tendrils out into the mainstream 

media. A self-fulfilling 

prophecy is encouraging more 

people to take action and bank 

some early equity as prices look 

ready to rebound back to equilibrium 

and beyond. 

There is no doubt that the 

Government’s efforts to bring 

more skilled workers into the 

country have resulted in a shortage 

of housing. In response, 

there are more agents reporting 

multi-offers on properties, particularly 

in the bottom to middle 

of the market where buyers 

don’t need to sell a property 

to make their purchase work, 

and offshore cash is making its 

way into the housing market to 

allow new immigrants to set up 

a new life in New Zealand. 

We’re hearing more and 

BEYOND THE 

BANKS 

BY CLAIRE WILLIAMSON 

Claire Williamson is a mortgage 

advisor for My Mortgage 

more that first home buyers are 

lining up to get into the property 

market. This follows changes in 

June that have made it a bit easier 

to purchase properties with 

lower deposits, as well as some 

lesser-known changes to the 

First Home Partner scheme, 

where Kainga Ora is supporting 

more buyers with equity deposits 

and extending these to existing 

properties rather than just 

new builds. 

This is more pronounced 

than it was in previous months 

as the effect of a swing towards 

a slight shortage of properties 

heading into a traditionally 

busy time of the year is causing 

competition in the mid-range 

valued properties. More buyers 

are finding themselves needing 

to get their ducks in a row so 

they’re in with a chance. 

In August the Reserve Bank 

kept the OCR on hold, but 

interestingly also signalled that 

they wouldn’t hesitate to hold 

rates up at the current level for 

an extended period, which is 

likely to preclude a rate drop 

before the middle of 2024, 

and even another small rise 

if needed. 

Fixed rates have remained 

largely unchanged, albeit a few 

banks are discounting rates 

for strong clients. Relatively 

short terms continue to be solid 

options for many borrowers, 

but it’s worth considering the 

level of risk you’re willing to 

take in a still-uncertain rate 

market where they may remain 

higher for longer, and there is 

a fractional move towards 18 

months to two-year periods. 

An uptick in demand is 

underpinned by some uncertainty. 

The political race is 

on with only six weeks till an 

all-important general election, 

where perceived Government 

overspending, inflation, cost 

of living and interest rate hikes 

have all been big conversations 

amongst political leaders. 

Investors and speculative 

developers have stepped back 

for the past few years as affordability 

has tightened, and given 

the high demand for rental 

housing, they are ready to 

re-enter the market if interest 

deductibility is reinstated. 

So - how do we win this 

game of noughts and crosses? 

Beware, beware how you compare… 

Capturing the consumer 

dollar can be a challenge 

at the best 

of times. 

At the worst of times, such 

as arguably those New Zealand 

is experiencing at the moment, 

it can be even harder. 

It is not surprising then 

that to maximise their chances 

of capturing the dollar, businesses 

might undertake what 

in legal speak is called comparative 

advertising. That is, 

advertising in which either a 

business states that its products 

(usually) are compatible 

with another brand’s products, 

or a business compares 

its goods (or services) to the 

goods (or services) of one or 

more competitors, highlighting 

the benefits of that business’s 

goods over the competitors’. 

The benefits might be 

lower price, greater value, better 

performance or durability, 

for example. 

Done right, comparative 

advertising can be very successful, 

achieving brand switch 

and long-term loyalty. Just ask 

Whittaker’s and potentially 

Pak’nSave (Kiwis will know 

what I mean here…). 

Done wrong, and you can 

infringe registered trade mark 

rights (if you use a competitor’s 

trading name or logo in 

your ad) and/or breach New 

INTELLECTUAL 

PROPERTY ISSUES 

BY BEN CAIN 

Ben Cain is a Senior Associate 

at James & Wells and a 

Resolution Institute-accredited 

mediator. He can be contacted 

at 07 957 5660 (Hamilton), 

07 928 4470 (Tauranga) and 

benc@jaws.co.nz. 

Zealand’s Fair Trading Act 

1986 and Advertising Standards 

Code. 

A well-publicised recent 

example of where a business 

‘got it wrong’ in New Zealand 

involves the kiwi toy company, 

Zuru 1 , and the world famous 

brickmaker, Lego 2 . Zuru had 

used the LEGO word mark on 

packaging for its own ‘MAX 

Build More’ toy bricks to 

advertise they were compatible 

with Lego branded bricks. 

Lego had not consented to 

Zuru’s use and, to cut a long 

legal story short, sued Zuru 

for trade mark infringement, 

passing off and breach of the 

Fair Trading Act. 

Although it failed on its 

passing off and Fair Trading 

Act claims, Lego did succeed 

on its trade mark infringement 

claim on the grounds Zuru did 

not use the LEGO trade mark 

in accordance with honest 

practices in commercial matters 

and its use took unfair 

advantage of the LEGO trade 

mark. Further, it was not reasonably 

necessary for Zuru to 

use the LEGO trade mark in 

such a prominent way on the 

front panels of its containers 

and packaging to indicate 

either a characteristic of its 

products or the intended purpose 

of its products. 

Outside the world of toy 

bricks, I am aware of two 

other recent examples where 

competitors have undertaken 

questionable comparative 

advertising. Due to client confidentiality, 

I am unable to 

divulge further details. It suffices 

to say however that when 

scrutinised, the comparisons 

– which involved comparisons 

of product features – did not 

stack up: quite the opposite, 

the comparisons were fundamentally 

flawed and, should 

they have been tested in a 

court, would, I venture, been 

found so. 

There are, I perceive, four 

key ‘rules’ when it comes to 

comparative advertising: 

1. If making compatibility 

statements, like Zuru, ask 

yourself (and sense check 

with others) whether using 

your competitor’s name or 

logo is really necessary. A 

good rule of thumb might 

be, ‘If in doubt, leave it out’. 

2. If comparing goods or 

services, compare apples 

with apples, not apples 

with pears and, worse still, 

lemons; 

3. If you are questioned, make 

sure you can wholly justify 

the claims you make in 

your advertising; and 

4. If you are in any doubt, seek 

appropriate legal advice. 

Forewarned is forearmed. 

1. Zuru New Zealand Limited 

and Zuru Toys New Zealand 

Limited, to be precise. 

2. Lego Juris A/S and Lego 

A/S, to be precise.

The marketing power 

of thank you 

From a simple acknowledgement to 

a heartfelt expression of gratitude, a 

thank you can carry great weight in 

our everyday lives, and it can speak 

volumes about your brand. 

I’ve spent much of the last 

couple of months feeling 

humbled by the kindness 

of others in business and, at 

the same time, deeply disappointed 

by, what shall I call it… 

the opposite. 

We had a mini flood at 

home this weekend. The 

extraordinarily helpful guys 

from C F Reese thanked us for 

our business as they left, after 

they were the ones who had 

rescued us from even deeper 

damp carnage. 

No need to thank us, I 

thought, we are (or the insurance 

company is!) paying you 

after all. But irrespective of 

their unquestionable expertise 

and level of service, it will 

be the thank you that makes 

us call them when we need a 

plumber next. No question. 

Whether or not their gratitude 

was delivered with intent, it 

is marketing investment that 

worked. 

Intentional or not, authenticity 

is a major factor in 

whether the thank yous will hit 

home with marketing purpose. 

We see this a lot these days in 

emails or digital updates from 

online ordering. Overdo the 

depth of feeling in your thanks 

and it will seem fake. Repeat it 

too frequently and it will wash 

over us. 

Discount schemes and loyalty 

programs are, to many 

brands, their regular way of 

saying thank you for your business. 

Yes, we all know that it’s 

really a cunning plan to tie us 

in and get us to spend more. 

But done well, this messaging 

can build emotional connection 

that turns into true advocacy, 

creating vocal ambassadors 

for your brand, not simply 

valued repeat custom. 

Not all loyalty schemes are 

created equal though, are they. 

If I need to spend a grand to 

get a measly amount off and 

it’s going to take me two years 

to get there, I’m likely to give 

up long before the finish line. 

Make it an achievable target, 

but obviously one that your 

business can still afford, I’ll be 

breaking into a sprint to get to 

there. 

Online retail systems can 

now work out so much about 

us that their ability to tailor 

offers to our buying or browsing 

habits is, let’s face it, getting 

spooky. I appreciate the 

cleverness of the algorithm and 

that the retailers bother to ask 

it to target me that way. However, 

targeted is exactly how 

I feel sometimes. Shot at by a 

faceless line of software code. 

I can hear the computers 

talking to each other: “There’s 

that Vicki Jones again. She 

always searches for cobalt 

blue. Spam her socials and 

inbox with blue options with 

a discount code until she surrenders. 

Only needs to be 10% 

- she’s a shoo-in.” 

It gets a bit much sometimes, 

doesn’t it. Call me old 

school, but the small gestures 

can sometimes have just 

as much impact as a financial 

incentive, even in these 

times when we’re watching 

TELLING YOUR 

STORY 

BY VICKI JONES 

Vicki Jones is director of 

Dugmore Jones, Hamilton-based 

brand management consultancy. 

vicki@dugmorejones.co.nz 

our spending. 

A delivery from a fledgling 

NZ business arrived at our 

house recently with a handwritten 

thank you note, and 

little sweet treat included. It 

cost them little but time but, 

of course, my 21-year-old 

‘grammed the life out of it. 

She spread the word. Friends 

bought more stuff. Job done. 

I imagine that, eventually, 

small business will get so busy 

that they won’t have time to 

write hand-written messages 

but, if they continue with the 

same authentic sentiment, I 

can picture them putting in a 

printed thank you or something 

creative to keep the 

theme. You could tell it was 

genuine, and you’d hope that 

that kind of thoughtfulness 

doesn’t get eroded too easily. 

Amid the digital bedlam, 

the genuine art of gratitude 

stands as a beacon of connection. 

From heartfelt sincerity to 

unexpected charm, these gestures 

defy those cunning algorithms. 

Whether it be a handwritten 

note or the tempting 

discount, a sincere thank you 

transcends transaction. Amid 

data-driven tactics, the simple 

‘thank you’ creates genuine 

customer-brand relationships. 

Taking stock of 

where we are 

at as a region, 

with the help of 

Infometrics 

From our inhouse recent 

member research, 

Waikato Chamber 

members appear to be in 

a good place. Anecdotally, 

the accounting profession 

is reporting balance sheets 

are solid but not spectacular, 

while our research showed 

that 80% of members put 

their prices up during the 

last 12 months in response to 

input cost increases so that 

their margins are protected. 

It is clear from our 

research that most Waikato 

companies are not enjoying 

the uncertainty of the election 

year and are pessimistic about 

the economy and its current 

direction. That said, they 

remain strongly optimistic 

about the fortunes of their 

own companies. 

Taking some of the 

highlights from the 

Infometrics Quarterly 

Economic Monitor gives a 

good snapshot of where our 

region is at present. The 

provisional estimates indicate 

that economic activity in the 

Waikato region accelerated to 

3.2% p.a. in the year ending 

June 2023, making it one 

of the stronger performing 

regions in New Zealand. 

The current $8 dairy 

payout will boost economic 

activity in the current and 

near future, but there is 

concern for the two- and 

three-year horizon where 

revenue reduction coupled 

to 12%-plus cost increases 

are loading pressures in the 

primary sector. With the 

Farmgate milk price recently 

downgraded further to $7, 

DairyNZ are projecting 

the average farm to run 

an even deeper deficit this 

year. Infometrics estimates 

that the 2023/24 season’s 

dairy payout in Waikato will 

be $545m lower than the 

previous season. 

MarketView data indicates 

that consumer spending in 

the Waikato grew by 9.7% 

over the year to June 2023, 

which was modest in real 

terms, given inflation was 

running at 6.0% p.a. but good 

news for our retail members. 

Consumer spending was 

buoyed by an 18% p.a. increase 

in tourism expenditure 

across the Waikato region 

as international visitors 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEW 

By Don Good, CEO of Waikato 

Chamber of Commerce. 

returned to New Zealand. 

House value declines have 

eased by one percentage point 

between the March and June 

2023 quarters, and several 

commentators believe the 

national housing market 

shows signs of having reached 

a floor. Residential consents 

continue to pull back from 

their especially strong levels 

in mid-2021, but are expected 

to decline more slowly over 

the coming year as house 

values stabilise. 

Adding to the pipeline 

of construction activity in 

Waikato, non-residential 

consents grew 33% p.a. over 

the June 2023 year, compared 

to an 11% p.a. expansion 

nationally. This result was 

supported by a record high 

$324m of non-residential 

consents in the March 2023 

quarter. 

The Waikato Region 

continues to be a positive 

outlier, for in an economy the 

media depict as in a slump, if 

not a recession, the current 

activity and future outlook 

for our Waikato members 

remains positive despite it 

being an election year. 

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent 

15


Waikato bolsters health leadership team 

The University of Waikato has 

announced three key appointments 

to Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, 

as it focuses on delivering academic 

programmes that help meet the 

current and future workforce needs 

in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Recently it was 

announced that, if it 

is elected at the next 

general election, a future 

National government would 

support the development of 

a third medical school at the 

University of Waikato to help 

address workforce challenges. 

“We are fully committed 

to establishing the medical 

school and believe it is needed 

as the workforce and system 

challenges in health will not 

improve if we keep doing the 

same thing,” School of Health 

Dean, Professor Jo Lane, says. 

“As a university we are 

focused on supporting fairer 

health outcomes in our communities 

and achieving this by 

delivering a full range of allied 

health programmes.” 

The University has 

appointed Professor Ross 

Lawrenson as its new Director 

of Medicine at the School 

of Health. Formerly a GP and 

the University’s Professor of 

Population Health, Professor 

Lawrenson has more than 25 

years’ research experience and 

has a particular interest in the 

importance of primary care on 

health outcomes. 

Professor Lawrenson is an 

investigator on a number of 

Health Research Council collaborations 

and has held a 

number of governance roles 

including being on the Board 

of Pharmac from 2016 to 

2020, chair of the National 

Screening Advisory Committee 

from 2009-2016, and 

NZ chair of the Australasian 

University of Waikato health team Dr Ryan Paul, Dr Ross Lawrenson and Dr Rawiri Keenan. 

Faculty of Public Health Medicine 

(AFPHM). He was previously 

Dean of the Postgraduate 

Medical School at the 

University of Surrey and then 

Assistant Dean University of 

Auckland. 

“Ross is a highly experienced, 

well known and hugely 

respected expert and we are 

excited about what he will 

bring to this position,” Professor 

Lane says. 

As well as his appointment, 

the School of Health has 

appointed Dr Ryan Paul (Ngāti 

Maru) as Associate Professor 

– Medicine, and Dr Rawiri 

Keenan (Te Atiawa, Taranaki), 

as Associate Professor – Primary 

Care. 

Dr Paul has been a senior 

lecturer in diabetes and endocrinology 

since 2016. He is 

the immediate past president 

of the New Zealand Society 

of Endocrinology, president 

elect of the New Zealand Society 

for the Study of Diabetes, 

convenor of the New Zealand 

National Diabetes Guidance 

Group and a clinical associate 

of the Maurice Wilkins Centre. 

Dr Paul was awarded New Zealand 

Medical Educator of the 

Year in 2019 and established 

the Advanced Diabetes Management 

Course. 

“Ryan provides the School 

of Health with key strategic 

partnerships, relevant for 

both teaching and research, 

including clinical leadership 

within the Medical Research 

Centre, and he has initiated 

professional development 

activities for primary 

care practitioners,” Professor 

Lane says. 

Dr Keenan is a vocationally 

registered GP who has 

held various local and national 

roles alongside clinical work. 

Currently he is a member of 

the National Mortality Review 

Committee and Patient 

Reported Measures Steering 

Group for Te Tāhū Hauora 

Health Quality and Safety 

Commission and the National 

clinical assembly for Te Aho 

o Te Kahu (Cancer control 

agency). 

“Rawiri has excellent links 

with Māori doctors across New 

Zealand and is much valued for 

his guidance on tikanga in the 

health setting. He is invaluable 

to our health research efforts 

providing credible Māori input 

into our research applications 

and provides mana and expertise 

to our Māori health initiatives 

across the School of 

Health.” 

Professor Lane says the 

University is pleased to have 

such capable and experienced 

practitioners take on 

these important leadership 

roles within its growing and 

socially-responsive School 

of Health. 

Small business jobs growth 

remains strong in June quarter 

Global small business 

platform Xero recently 

released its Xero Small 

Business Index for the June 

2023 quarter, which showed 

small business job growth 

remained strong despite flatlining 

sales. 

The Xero Small Business 

Index shows sales rose 5.9 

percent year-on-year in June 

2023, with an average growth 

of just 3.9 percent y/y in the 

June 2023 quarter. 

This was down from a 4.2 

percent average for the March 

2023 quarter, and well below 

the 12.9 percent y/y average 

over the whole of 2022. 

“While 5.9 percent year-onyear 

growth may seem positive, 

this is still a step behind 

the latest inflation figures," 

Xero country manager Bridget 

Snelling says. 

“The country officially 

entered recession during the 

March quarter, which appears 

to be having a negative impact 

on both business confidence 

and sales. 

“As households continue to 

struggle with the cost of living, 

When you put 

the minimum 

wage up 

everything 

goes up. 

it’s only natural we see people 

reduce their discretionary 

spending.” 

Matamata plumbing and 

roofing business Comag Limited 

general manager Hayden 

Wright says, while their household 

market is slowing they are 

still experiencing sales growth 

especially in large-scale commercial 

projects. 

“We’ve noticed a slowing in 

local areas and people seem to 

be putting off the day-to-day 

maintenance like fixing tap 

washers. But there is definitely 

still strong growth in the commercial 

sector.” 

While the large -scale roofing 

and plumbing projects are 

keeping Comag busy it also 

means they are reliant on hiring 

contractors to keep up with 

the workload. 

“We’ve definitely got the 

capacity for more skilled 

plumbers and roofers.” 

The increase to the minimum 

wage, which Comag pay 

their apprentices, has hit hard 

with a flow on effect increasing 

wages across the board. 

Hayden says training 

apprentices is important to 

Comag’s growth and they make 

up a third of the 50-strong 

crew. 

“We train our own and then 

we get the best out of them. 

While school leaving apprentices 

are paid minimum wage 

we’re not required to. We can 

pay them a training wage.” 

The cost of living crisis, 

Hayden believes, is exacerbated 

by the rising minimum 

wage. 

“When you put the minimum 

wage up everything 

goes up.” 

Snelling says the Xero index 

shows that alongside strong 

jobs growth, wage growth 

cooled to just 2.9 percent y/y 

in June 2023 and averaged 3.5 

percent y/y for the June 2023 

quarter. 

“This downturn from the 

significant peaks seen throughout 

2022 will likely be welcome 

news for many small business 

owners across Aotearoa New 

Zealand. 

“However, lower wages 

could also point to more pressure 

for household budgets 

and a potentially further flattening 

of sales.” 

“Overall, the XSBI results 

reflect a level of resilience in 

Kiwi small businesses, despite 

the weaker sales data being 

consistent with New Zealand’s 

recession. 

“Despite this, the road 

ahead is still challenging for 

our small business owners. 

They continue to walk the 

tightrope to balance books 

and maintain their bottom line 

while still providing for their 

staff and themselves. 

“We can take solace in the 

fact the Official Cash Rate 

seems to have plateaued at 

least for the time being, which 

hopefully translates into a 

slowdown in mounting financial 

pressures for households 

and business alike. 

“We encourage small business 

owners to consider the 

digital tools available to them 

in order to manage their cash 

flow during these trying times, 

as well as encouraging Kiwis 

to pay their invoices on time 

where possible to support the 

flow of money through the 

small business economy.”

Forever 

set in stone 

SJR Builders Limited 

WAIKATO REGISTERED MASTER BUILDERS 

HOUSE OF 

THE YEAR 

2023 

A supplement of 

Waikato Business News 

WAIKATO REGION’S HOMES OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED 

YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL 

BUSINESS NEWS IN WAIKATO 

Waikato Business News congratulates the Waikato Supreme winners 

SJR Builders Limited, FV Design and Build and GD Pringle Building Ltd for their 

outstanding success at the 2023 Waikato Master Builders House of the Year 

Awards. We are also proud to congratulate all other Waikato award winners.

18 SJR BUILDERS 

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 

WE’VE DONE IT AGAIN! 

PO BOX 5300, Hamilton 3242 | 07 847 9993 | 027 276 1161 

www.sjrbuilders.co.nz 

208149AA

A Cooks Beach family 

bach takes out Master 

Builders’ supreme 

While it may be affectionately known as the ‘family bach’, a 

stunning home in Cooks Beach has taken out the Supreme 

House of the Year over $1 million award at the 2023 Waikato 

Registered Master Builders House of the Year. 

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 SJR BUILDERS 19 

Built by SJR Builders, 

and designed by 

Hamilton Architects 

Edwards White, the 

award-winning home is proof 

of the outstanding craftsmanship 

that goes into a project of 

this calibre. 

It’s not a first for SJR, having 

entered the awards since 

2013, the team have picked 

up many Master Builders 

awards over the years including 

Regional Supreme Award 

three times, the builders coveted 

Craftsmanship Award 

twice, Lifestyle awards, 

Regional Category and Gold 

Awards. Along with the multitude 

of local awards, SJR 

Builders have achieved seven 

national awards. 

SJR company director Steve 

Ross says entering the awards 

is a great way to acknowledge 

the team’s expertise. 

“I’m very happy for them 

to be recognised for the 

workmanship and their toil at 

the coalface,” he says. 

“As a company owner, I'm 

proud of my staff and their 

workmanship. It’s a collaborative 

process to actually bring a 

build to life, and that includes 

the whole team of subcontractors, 

the architects and the fantastic 

owners.” 

What makes Steve and the 

team most happy is the Pink 

Batts Craftsmanship Award 

also bestowed on this project. 

“The craftsmanship award 

is something we all go for as 

builders, so we're pretty happy 

about that.” 

The unassuming street view 

belies the grandeur and intricacy 

of this beautiful home 

perched on a cliff overlooking 

the ocean. 

Spanning three levels, the 

lower portion uses waterproofed 

concrete structures, 

while the upper portion consists 

of structural steel and 

timber framing. 

No build is without its challenges 

and the constrained site 

access and complex ground 

conditions on this project were 

met with a carefully planned 

and staged building process. 

The Cooks Beach home was 

built over three phases; the 

first phase was a two-bedroom 

‘bunker’ dug into the cliff-face 

with a tunnel to connect it to 

the rest of the build. 

Boring deep holes of up to 

eight metres down to bed rock 

and filling them with reinforced 

concrete, tested SJR 

Builders’ expertise. 

Navigating the difficult 

access to the underground concrete 

bedroom wing required 

exceptional skill. 

Once finished the owners 

moved in and old bach was 

removed. 

The next stages saw the 

completion of the tunnel, the 

lift shaft and then the main 

bach was built. 

The tunnel is one of the 

features that Steve gets a kick 

out of; connecting the ‘bunker’ 

with the main bach, it was built 

to provide covered access as 

well as an element of secrecy. 

“It’s a proper tunnel. The 

owner wanted something that 

felt really grounded to the 

earth and that was a really 

great way to do it.” 

Designed with the family 

in mind, the build is a home of 

two halves, with the ’bunker’ 

an oasis for the owners while 

two upper levels are the retreat 

for the adult children, their 

kids and guests. 

“It’s a fantastic design for 

the whole family to use it at the 

same time but still have their 

own spaces.” 

Outside, stone cladding and 

paving showcase the skill and 

attention to detail by the SJR 

Builders team. 

The cedar cladding is beautifully 

crafted and the door setout 

is immaculate. 

The complex structural 

steel work and columns are 

perfectly aligned, and are a 

testament to the precision and 

expertise of the team. 

Inside, the curved surfaces 

have been expertly executed, 

and the finishes including textured 

plaster, tiling, timber, 

plasterboard and painting add 

to the stunning result. 

To say the owners are 

thrilled with the result is an 

understatement, they are so 

pleased with their new home 

they’ve even invited Steve and 

his team to stay. 

“We're lucky to have great 

owners, as we do with all our 

projects, and one of the most 

satisfying things is for my staff 

and myself to be offered the 

use of bach.” 

Entering the awards is one 

of the few ways Steve uses to 

market SJR Builders. 

“It's good to have our 

name out there and associated 

with Master Builders and the 

awards.” 

Steve started out working 

for Stewart Hanna in his company, 

buying into the business 

in 1998 and acquired full ownership 

in 2005. 

He purchased the company 

knowing the excellent and 

long-standing reputation that 

Stewart Hanna Ltd had gained 

over the years. 

A name change to SJR 

Builders Ltd in 2019 was a process 

undertaken over time and 

reflects the high regard for the 

Stewart Hanna Ltd brand. 

Steve’s goal with a SJR project 

has always been to exceed 

client’s expectations and, while 

he’s no longer on the tools, he’s 

involved in the project from 

woe to go. 

“I run the business from 

quantity surveying, liaising 

with the clients and architects 

and bringing it all together. I 

get the projects going forward 

and make sure that we deliver 

what we say we're going to 

deliver,” he says. 

Having that input in a 

project from the outset, Steve 

says, is vital to producing a 

build that is not only of a high 

quality but delivers on budget. 

“We like to get involved 

with clients very early on, and 

we'll work with architects from 

the outset,” he says. 

“It’s a benefit to the client 

because we've been looking 

at the plans as they're getting 

designed for cost efficiency 

around material and labour. 

And we actually know the 

whole project, so when the 

building consent is finalised, 

when we start on the job, we’re 

straight into it.” 

SJR Builders work a wide 

range of residential projects 

from the minor home repairs 

to the more complex builds 

of high end architecturally 

designed homes. 

The beauty of this, Steve 

says, is the ability to apply the 

innovative thinking, ideas and 

products specified by architects 

and clients on the building 

site. 

NATIONAL AWARDS WON 

Top 100 

REGIONAL AWARDS WON 

Regional Supreme House 

of the Year 

Regional Pink Batts 

Craftsmanship 

Regional Category Winner 

Regional Gold 

A preferred and trusted supplier. 

Proud to be the plumber of choice for SJR Builders



New Home over $4 million 

SJR BUILDERS 

Forever 

set in stone 

The brief was clear – build a beach house 

that meets the needs of our multigenerational 

family where extended 

families can spend time together whilst 

each having their own space. 

The home is to be made 

of enduring materials 

that are natural in their 

appearance and patina over 

time. A place with a sense 

of solidity and permanence, 

knowing the place will be here 

for the next 100 years. 

Natural timbers and locally 

sourced stone in the exterior 

construction and finishing 

in a natural colour palette, 

subtly blends the house with 

the surrounding environment. 

The home consists of levels; 

garaging, bedrooms, bathrooms 

and living area on the 

ground floor with main living 

areas and guest suite upstairs. 

Clever design has a dark negative 

layer at ground level with 

perforated views through the 

Pohutukawa tree line. 

The lightly weighted cedar 

Ferry Landing 

box sits at the top, floating 

effortlessly above the tree canopy, 

emphasising the abundant 

panoramic views. 

Expansive decks surrounding 

the home provide outdoor 

living and extended entertainment 

areas. The lift moves 

between the two home levels 

and also leads to an underground 

level, including a wine 

cellar completed in stone. A 

tunnel connects the holiday 

home with the beach front 

hideaway bunker. 

- Editorial and images 

supplied by SJR Builders 

PREMIUM ALUMINIUM WINDOWS AND 

DOORS FOR YOUR HOME 

Proud supplier to 

SJR Builders 

Phone 07 849 3817 | originresidential.co.nz 

Visit our showroom at 941 Arthur Porter Drive, Hamilton

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 SJR BUILDERS 21 

Lighting | Electrical | Sound | Automation 

Proudly supporting SJR Builders 

021 625 478 office@wireit.net.nz 

www.wireit.net.nz 

handles 

and 

brass 

architectural hardware specialists 

CONSULT | SUPPLY | INSTALL 

Specialist supply and 

Another successful project completed 

installation of commercial 

and residential door hardware 

12 Somerset Street, Hamilton 

07 846 1235 

Another successful 

project completed 

with SJR Builders 

w : h a n d l e s a n d b r a s s . c o . n z 

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3781052AA 

12 Somerset Street, Hamilton 

0800 HANDLES 

208036AA 

www.handlesandbrass.co.nz 

CJ 

JOINERY & KITCHENS 

The team at CJ Joinery & Kitchens 

is proud to be involved with 

SJR builders on the Award Winning Home 

Phone Phil: 021 184 4991



Proud to support SJR Builders 

Forever 

set in stone 

Ferry Landing 

office@ppdecorating.co.nz 

Placemakers are proud to 

be the chosen supplier to 

SJR Builders 

Building supplies • timber 

frame and truss power tools • hand tools 

bathroom supplies • paint 

Phone 07 846 6700 | Fax 07 849 4402 

WAIKATO 

TE RAPA | CLARENCE ST | HUNTLY | MORRINSVILLE | TE KUITI 

Proud to be part of an award-winning home 

Weathermaster Hamilton | Waikato Outdoor Solutions 

Waikato Shutters & Blinds Ltd 

Unit 6, 27 Norton Road, Frankton, Hamilton 3204 (by appointment only) 

Office: 07 839 1690 | Mobile: 022 096 5275 

Email: jourdan@waikatoshuttersblinds.co.nz 

www.waikatoshuttersblinds.co.nz | www.waikatooutdoorsolutions.co.nz

SJR BUILDERS 

23 

WINNERS 

Waikato Registered Master Builders 

House of the Year 2023 

CATEGORY WINNERS 


GD Pringle Building Ltd - Cambridge 

Bunnings Renovation 

$750,000 - $1.5 Million 

GD Pringle Building Ltd - Cambridge 

Altus Window Systems New Home 

$750,000 - $1 million 

FV Design and Build - Raglan 

New Home 

$1.5 Million - $2 Million 

Holcroft Prestige Limited - Flagstaff 

New Home over $4 Million 

SJR Builders Limited - Ferry Landing 

Volume/Group Housing 

New Home up to $500k 

Versatile Hamilton - Taumarunui 

Volume/Group Housing New 

Home $500,000 - $750,000 

Sentinel homes Waikato - Flagstaff 

Master Build 10 Year Guarantee 

Multi Unit (Apartments/Duplexes/ 

Terrace Housing) 

Hay Construction - Raglan 

GIB Show Home 

Fowler Homes Waikato - Leamington 

Builders Own Home 

A J Gray Building Ltd - Matangi 

Gold Awards 

Iconic Construction - Matangi 

Clark Brothers Construction Ltd 

- Whatawhata 

Glen Armstrong Builders - Te Aroha 

PJ Builders Limited - Horsham 

Downs 

Davies Homes - Cambridge 

Davies Homes - Cambridge 

BDC Homes - Morrinsville 

Comfortable Home Limited 

- Flagstaff 

Sentinel Homes Waikato - Newstead 

Silver Awards 

Savannah Construction 

- Cambridge East 

White Wood Homes - Morrinsville 

Cambridge Homes South Waikato 

- Te Awamutu 

Cambridge Homes North Waikato 

- Chartwell 

Design Builders Waikato - Flagstaff 

McIndoe Construction - Tamahere 

Bronze Award 

8 Great Homes - Pokuru 

CHT Developments - Queenwood 

Jennian Homes Cambridge Limited 

- Pukekura 

CHT Developments - Te Kowhai 

Burns Construction - Flagstaff 

SPECIAL AWARD 

Pink Batts Craftsmanship Award 

SJR Builders Limited 

LIFESTYLE AWARDS 

APL Sustainable and 

Environmental Excellence Award 

Versatile Hamilton 

Plumbing World Bathroom 

Excellence Award 

Iconic Construction 

Interior Design Award 

BDC Homes 

Kitchen Excellence Award 

PJ Builders Limited 

Outdoor Living Award 

FV Design and Build 

PDL by Schneider Electric Smart 

Home Award 

PJ Builders Limited 

New Zealand’s largest most 

respected national supplier of 

Concrete Products 

• Retaining Walls 

• Floors 

• Veneer Walls 

• 

• Paving 

• Masonry 

The team at Firth Concrete are proud to be 

associated with the new SJR Builders Build 

Well done 

dpmedia.co.nz 

0800 FIRTH 1 

795 Te Rapa Road 

Hamilton, 3200 

Publishers of Waikato Business News, 

Waikato AgriBusiness News and BeautyNZ Magazine

Attention to detail, reliability, 

and experience. 


are master builders and licensed building practitioners who specialize in 

high-end work and strive to deliver building excellence. 

Multi award winning builders of new homes and renovations 

FV Design and Build M: 021 577 082 E: francis@fvdab.co.nz W: fvdesignandbuild.co.nz

FV Build and 

Design wins 

supreme with 

a little Raglan 

beauty 

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 FV DESIGN AND BUILD 25 

Attention to detail, 

reliability, and experience 

Building beautiful homes 

for good people to a 

really high standard has 

won FV Design and Build the 

Waikato Supreme House of the 

Year under $1 million award. 

It might sound like a simple 

catchphrase but it what drives 

owner/operator Francis Van 

Den Einden and the team to 

deliver quality workmanship. 

The exceptional home that 

won the team House of the 

Year is testament to the flawless 

design and construction 

undertaken by the team. 

Sitting prettily under two 

old pōhutukawa trees overlooking 

Raglan Harbour, this 

home was built to replace the 

original and faded family bach. 

The compact three-bedroom, 

two-bathroom, two-living 

room newcomer makes 

astute use of the space available 

in its 173sqm footprint. 

Constructed over three 

levels, with engineered block 

foundations, it’s an all-weather 

address lending a gallery-like 

appeal. 

Connecting decks protect 

from both wind and sun, while 

a covered outdoor area with 

louvre roof and walls leads to 

the kitchen and living area. 

Inside or out, it’s a delight 

to behold. 

Heated, polished colouredconcrete 

floors with plywood 

and cedar walls predominate 

indoors and frame additional 

touches. 

These include a feature 

halo light fitting that throws 

a dreamy, star-studded 

reflection on the ceiling. A 

solid plaster fireplace over aerated 

stone makes it all the better 

for lighting up some timber 

logs to keep this home cosy on 

cold winter nights. 

And when the world-famous 

Raglan surf’s up, there’s 

a place to clean up afterwards 

right at the back door. An exterior 

shower washes away the 

notorious black sand. 

This home’s stunning 

design integrates with the sloping 

site, whilst skilfully crafted 

recesses and protrusions add 

character and style to its long 

rectangular form. 

The complexity of the roof, 

with its well-installed internal 

gutters and downpipes, further 

highlights the precision and 

expertise involved. 

Inside the dining room, 

FV Design and Build used 

cedar on the walls and ceiling, 

along with full-height wallto-wall 

doors, creating a feel 

that effortlessly extends to the 

outdoors. 

A special feature, the hidden 

floor-to-ceiling door in 

the dining room leading to 

the bedroom wing, adds a 

unique touch. 

“The cedar door is a full 

height panel to look like a 

secret door, which leads you 

down the hallway and it came 

up really good,” Francis says. 

The judges noted the team’s 

outstanding skilfulness shone 

through making this house 

well-worthy of the Supreme 

Award for the category. They 

also took out the Altus Window 

Systems New Home $750,000 

– $1 million category, Outdoor 

Living Excellence Award, and a 

Gold Award for the build. 

FV Build and Design has 

entered the Master Builders 

House of the Year since 2017 

picking up multiple awards 

along the way. 

Taking out Supreme is a 

first and, Francis says, an awesome 

acknowledgement for his 

team and their dedication to 

continually producing a high 

standard of workmanship 

“It was extremely special 

and with so many other great 

builders in the room, it’s really 

humbling to have got it across 

the line,” he says. 

“The main reason I enter is 

to get validation for the team. 

To be put in front of our peers, 

and judged by our peers tells 

us if we're on the right track 

with the product that we're 

trying to put out and being recognised 

in front of them is a 

nice feeling.” 

Francis is a trade qualified, 

licensed building practitioner, 

and with over 20 years' experience, 

he’s still very much 

hands-on and the personal 

point of contact during an 

entire FV Build and Design 

project. 

“I'm still on site and you 

deal with me the whole way 

through. If you've got an issue, 

you just ring my number, and 

you get me. We offer a lot of 

transparency with what we're 

doing for our clients and I find 

this helps during the project.” 

The small crew not only 

work on new builds they do 

renovations and can assist 

with the design, and Francis 

says, they’re a ‘one stop shop’. 

“We can do everything from 

pouring the concrete through 

to doing the landscaping and 

building your pool.” 

Trained by an old school 

builder, Francis learnt to do 

everything from the ground up 

and it’s the fundamental skills 

he passes on to his crew that 

helps them produce high quality 

finishes. 

“I still train apprentices and 

I want them to learn the whole 

package.” 

Congratulations to the team at FV Design and Build. 

We are proud to support and work alongside FV Design 

now and into the future.

26 FV DESIGN AND BUILD 


Altus Window Systems 

New Home $750,000 - $1 million 

FV DESIGN AND BUILD 

Surf 

and turf 

Home is where the heart is, and this one 

— sitting prettily under two old 

pōhutukawa trees overlooking Raglan 

Harbour — is a perfect picture of just that. 

Raglan 

Built to replace the original 

and faded family 

bach, the compact 

three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 

two-living room 

newcomer makes astute use 

of the space available in its 

173sqm footprint. 

Constructed over three 

levels, with engineered block 

foundations, it’s an all-weather 

address lending a gallery-like 

appeal. Connecting decks protect 

from both wind and sun, 

while a covered outdoor area 

with louvre roof and walls 

leads to the kitchen and living 

area. Inside or out, it’s a delight 

to behold. Heated, polished 

coloured-concrete floors with 

plywood and cedar walls predominate 

indoors and frame 

additional touches. These 

include a feature halo light 

fitting that throws a dreamy, 

star-studded reflection on the 

ceiling. 

A solid plaster fireplace 

over aerated stone makes it all 

the better for lighting up some 

timber logs to keep this home 

cosy on cold winter nights. And 

when the world-famous Raglan 

surf’s up, there’s a place to 

clean up afterwards right at the 

back door. An exterior shower 

washes away any wayward 

black sand. 


supplied by FV Design and 

Build 

Proud to support FV Design and Build 

SEL ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FV DESIGN AND BUILD 

Brett Martin: 07 849 6992 | brett@selengineering.co.nz | www.selengineering.co.nz 

office@ppdecorating.co.nz


FV DESIGN AND BUILD 

27 

ROOFING SOLUTIONS 

WAIKATO LTD 

 

WATERPROOF MEMBRANE APPLICATORS 

NEW ROOFING & RE-ROOFING 

congratulate FV Design & Build on 

their award winning build! 

Products installed: 

· Viking Enviroclad Membrane 

Brian McLuskie 

mob: 0274 743 123 ph/fax: 07 829 5823 e:brian@rswaikato.co.nz 

I.T.O Accredited 

208200AA

28 FV DESIGN AND BUILD 


Surf 

and turf 

Raglan 

NZ Louvres Ltd are proud 

to be associated with 


Kitchen design, 

bathroom design, 

bespoke cabinet design, 

interior design, exterior 

colours, spatial design. 

P 0275 395 332 | E paulawaterhouse@xtra.co.nz 

www.paulawaterhousedesign.com 

208257AA

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 29 

WAIKATO REGIONAL 

SUPREME WINNER 

We take great pride in our quality and 

workmanship. It starts with our attention 

to detail and we have developed systems 

and checklists to ensure your job runs 

smoothly to the highest standard. 

gdpringlebuilding.co.nz | 027 308 4515 | george@gdpringlebuilding.co.nz

30 GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 


Supreme 

Renovation 

breathes new 

life into old 

A step back in time has won GP Pringle 

Building Ltd Supreme Renovation of the 

Year at the 2023 Waikato Registered 

Master Builders House of the Year 

competition. 

Winning a Supreme 

is a first for GD 

Pringle and 

managing director George 

Pringle says entering the 

awards is a great way to track 

the team’s craftmanship. 

“I like the fact that there's 

someone else judging our work 

and making sure we are achieving 

high standards. I know our 

team worked really hard to do 

nice work, but it's nice to be 

validated from someone else 

that you're actually doing a 

fantastic job.” 

Once a small 1930s bungalow, 

the Cambridge renovation 

pays homage to the past whilst 

expertly bringing in the new. 

The attention to the details 

of the house’s history was 

driven by the clients Jo and 

Richard who were keen to 

retain the home’s character 

while giving it the new lease 

of life. 

Jo, an interior designer, 

is the reason why you’ll see a 

dedicated effort to tie the old 

with the new by reusing existing 

materials, George says. 

“It was just an absolute 

pleasure to work with Jo and 

Richard, and the reason we 

have a result today is because 

of the passion and the effort 

they put in.” 

Reusing existing materials, 

and sourcing materials sympathetic 

to the house’s age, 

including some gems found 

at Demolition Traders, has 

helped create a seamless transition 

from the past to the 

present day. 

“We purchased some internal 

doors to match in with the 

existing. I think it was $1,500 

to have the doors remade 

brand new and it was about 

150 bucks from Demolition 

Traders. While we were there 

the client actually saw some 

leadlight windows and we 

incorporated those into the 

house as well.” 

The leadlight windows 

added a tasteful sense of charm 

to the powder room. 

The renovation saw a 

47sqm extension with a laundry, 

bathroom, separate toilet 

and main bedroom ensuite 

that enabled this house to 

spread its wings. 

Little details like the recycled 

butcher’s block table 

re-purposed as an island unit 

in the kitchen help to tie the 

old with the new. 

Elegant touches throughout 

the house, like the additional 

patterned ceiling sheets 

running down the hallway 

from the main entrance are a 

delightful nod to the past. 

The creation of matching 

cornices, renovated architraves 

and skirtings, and meticulously 

matching new matai with 

existing matai flooring showcases 

the GD Pringle Building 

team’s eye for detail. 

New double-glazed timber 

joinery throughout the house 

brings the house into the modern 

age. 

Plus, there’s a ducted 

underfloor heating and cooling 

system and upgraded insulation 

in keeping with a contemporary, 

warm and healthy 

home. 

Open plan living adds to the 

spaciousness of the extension 

as well as a adding a welcome 

update to what were once separate 

living areas. 

A home designed for 

today’s lifestyle is not complete 

without bringing the outdoors 

in and a portico provides a 

gorgeous all-weather space for 

entertaining. 

Creating a renovation for 

modern living whilst being 

sympathetic to the past had 

its challenges, George says, 

but the effort, time and energy 

that went into the project was 

worth going the extra mile. 

“It was just a neat project 

to be involved with. And the 

fact that the client was willing 

to go to those levels, because it 

would be so easy to cheat out 

on some of those details but it 

wouldn't have the same effect. 

“You would be hard 

pressed to work out where the 

extensions begin and the old 

house ends.” 

NATIONAL AWARDS WON 

Top 100 

REGIONAL AWARDS WON 

Regional Supreme 

Renovation of the Year 

Regional Category Winner 

Regional Gold 

Proud to work with GD Pringle Builders 

on this project 

Plumbing - Drainage - Gas fitting - Heating 

CONTACT US 

107a Hautapu Road, Cambridge 

Office hours: 

Monday to Thursday 7.30 am till 5.00pm 

Friday 7.30 am till 4.00pm. 

Phone: 07 8237263 

Fax: 07 8237264 

Local agents for The Fireplace selling and installing Jetmaster 

Gasco fires. Local agents for Central Heating New Zealand 

administration email: Sharon - office@cominsplumbing.co.nz 

pricing/technical email: Andrew - andrew@cominsplumbing.co.nz

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 31 


GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 

Once upon a time it was a cottage. 

Now this Cambridge charmer is a 

grown-up version of its former self. 

The 47sqm extension has 

enabled this house to 

spread its wings, with 

a laundry, bathroom, separate 

toilet and main bedroom 

ensuite contained within the 

revamped look. It helped 

that the client is an interior 

designer: somebody who 

wanted to retain the home’s 

character while giving it the 

new lease of life it needed. 

That’s why you’ll see a dedicated 

effort to tie the old with 

the new by reusing existing 

materials. Take a look at the 

recycled butcher’s block table 

standing proud as an island 

unit in the kitchen as one illustration 

of this approach. You’ll 

see such touches throughout 

the house. Running down 

the hallway from the main 

entrance are extra patterned 

ceiling sheets. Those internal 

doors have been here before, 

in other places. Additional 

doors have come from a demolition 

yard, as have the leadlights 

in the powder room. 

Concessions to modernity lie 

in new double-glazed timber 

joinery throughout the house. 

There’s a ducted underfloor 

heating and cooling system 

and upgraded insulation. And 

because all grown-ups like to 

entertain, a portico provides a 

gorgeous all-weather space. 

- Editorial and images supplied 

by GD Pringle Building Ltd 

All grown up 

Cambridge

32 GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 


Bunnings Renovation $750,000 - $1.5 million 

GD PRINGLE BUILDING LTD 

This much-loved 1970s home 

needed new life injected into it. 

The adult children were 

returning on a repeat 

basis, now with their 

own kids in tow, for family 

get-togethers. So began the 

season of transformation. After 

extensive engineering work, 

both in the groundworks and to 

the original structure, the new 

shape began to emerge. Out 

went the dated floorplan with 

separate living spaces; in came 

a large open-plan living area 

for multi-generational enjoyment. 

A focal point is an alcove 

with raised built-in hearth and 

gas fire. Brick slips on the 

walls and a glass roof complete 

the picture. The upstairs main 

bedroom is connected through 

an expansive void. Skylights 

and floor-to-ceiling windows 

make great use of natural light. 

A further outdoor room forms 

a conservatory that serves as a 

threshold to the garden. This 

area includes a barbecue and 

can be opened or screened 

off to respond to the seasonal 

changes in the garden. The 

original kitchen with inbuilt 

joinery has been carefully 

preserved, and a new island 

unit and cabinetry has been 

added. In its new guise, the 

four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 

two-living room address can be 

enjoyed by young and old alike. 

- Editorial and images supplied 

by GD Pringle Building Ltd 

Generation 

next 

Fairfield 

Procuta Associates 

Urban + Architecture 

CAMBRIDGE POLICE HUB 

Contact us 07 839 6521 

www.pauaarchitects.co.nz

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 COMFORTABLE HOME 33 

We build more than houses 

We build dreams 

021 175 5559 

E info@comfortablehome.co.nz

34 COMFORTABLE HOME LIMITED 


Builder’s Own Home 

COMFORTABLE 

HOME LIMITED 

This labour of love showcases 

this builder's immense talents 

and craftsmanship. It starts with 

a grand exterior featuring Abodo 

weatherboard, plaster and schist. 

Step inside through the 

grand, shiny white front 

door and prepare to be 

wowed by the generous lobby 

and living area, complete 

with mirrored ceiling. Timber 

raked ceilings and statement 

feature walls, combined with a 

generous use of glass, further 

illustrate this builder’s singular 

style. The 294sqm home is 

big enough to accommodate 

four spacious bedrooms, two 

luxury bathrooms and two 

living areas. A designer kitchen 

with touches of marble and 

ample storage space offers all 

the catering bells and whistles. 

This is a good thing, 

considering there’s a vast landscaped 

outdoor entertainment 

area — with spa included — 

too. A separate laundry and 

office keeps work and play 

areas apart. There’s room for 

two cars in the in-house garage 

that has its own workshop area, 

although with local parks and 

shops nearby, you may want to 

walk instead. When the need to 

ride does arise, Flagstaff is just 

a short drive to the Hamilton 

CBD, and it has easy access to 

the Waikato Expressway. 


supplied by Comfortable 

Home Limited 

Oh what 

a ceiling 

Flagstaff 

027 445 1752 

saul@proplusplumbing.co.nz

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 COMFORTABLE HOME LIMITED 35 

Congratulations to Jeff and his team at 

Comfortable Home on your Gold Award. 

Spring Building is proud to be associated 

with the award-winning home. 

info@spiring.co.nz | www.spiring.co.nz 

LAWS TILING 

Congratulations to Jeff and 

his team on winning Gold. 

Proud to be part of 

a winning build. 

021 030 12191 

yunxiao85@gmail.com

36 COMFORTABLE HOME LIMITED 


Oh what 

a ceiling 

Flagstaff 

FLORA HABITAT 

DESIGN | BUILD | PLANT 

Flora Habitat has more than 10 

years of experience in designing 

and constructing outstanding 

outdoor spaces throughout 

Waikato. 

We pride ourselves on quality 

service and craftsmanship as 

well as innovative landscaping 

creations that transcend 

ordinary design solutions. 

Services: 

Landscape Consultation and Design 

Hard Landscaping 

Proud to be part of a 

award winning home 

Soft Landscaping 

Carpentry 

Landscape Supplies 

730 Arthur Porter Drive, Hamilton | 07 849 0669 | 021 417 559 | infoadmin@florahabitat.com

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 COMFORTABLE HOME LIMITED 37 

The team at 

is proud to be part of the 

Comfortable Home award-winning home 

Phone 021 927 165 

splendidelectrical@gmail.com 

Congratulations to 

Comfortable Homes 

on your GOLD Award 2023. 

Proud to be associated with 

Comfortable Homes. 

- Kitchens 

- Laundry 

- Wardrobes 

- Office cabinets 

Phone: 021 961 909 

kitchencomplexltd@hotmail.com

38 HOLCROFT PRESTIGE LIMITED 


Masters of quality 

Craftsmanship, commitment and care: these are the hallmarks of 

every project undertaken by Holcroft Prestige Ltd. We specialise in 

high end work and strive to deliver building excellence. 

28 Awatere Ave, Hamilton 3200. 

M 027 498 8549 | E nick@holcroftprestige.co.nz 

www.holcroftprestige.co.nz

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 HOLCROFT PRESTIGE LIMITED 39 

SEL ARE PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HOLCROFT PRESTIGE 

New Home $1.5 million - $2 million 

HOLCROFT 

PRESTIGE LIMITED 

The site is situated high above a gully with views towards the 

Hakarimata Range. On all other sides the building envelope is 

hemmed in and overlooked by the nearby neighbours. 

The design responds to this context by 

using the form of the house to divide 

the site into various outdoor zones. To 

the north a sheltered outdoor area opens onto 

a protected lawn while to the west an elevated 

deck enjoys evening sunsets and provides openness 

toward the adjacent gully. 

With grown children who have left home, 

the owners required a house that could be easy 

occupied by two people with intermittently used 

guest spaces situated in a separate wing. The layout 

seeks to minimise unnecessary circulation 

and allow public and private spaces to exist in 

close proximity. Privacy between these spaces 

is maintained by carefully restricting sight lines 

and forming discretely communicated but discernible 

thresholds. 

The identical gable ends are treated with 

cedar rainscreens while recessed elements 

are clad in bagged brick. Each material is 

assigned a role and used accordingly. Matt 

grey standing seam roofing and bespoke gutters 

are carefully detailed to contribute to a clean 

restrained aesthetic. 

- Editorial and images supplied by Holcroft 

Prestige Limited 

In rare 

form 

Flagstaff 

Brett Martin: 07 849 6992 | brett@selengineering.co.nz | www.selengineering.co.nz 

Brent Tupaea 

Laser Plumbing Hamilton East 

Brent Tupaea 

Phone Laser Plumbing 07 858 4921 Hamilton East 

hamilton.east@laserplumbing.co.nz 

www.laserplumbing.co.nz 

Phone 07 858 4921 

hamilton.east@laserplumbing.co.nz 

www.laserplumbing.co.nz 

PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED 

WITH HOLCROFT PRESTIGE LTD 

P: 07 850 1853 | M: 021 889 460 

Proudly 

associated 

with 

Holcroft 

Prestige 

Builders 

208158AA 

208158AA 

Lighting | Electrical | Sound | Automation 

Proudly supporting Holcroft Prestige 

021 625 478 office@wireit.net.nz 

www.wireit.net.nz

40 A J GRAY BUILDING LIMITED 


A J Gray 

BUILDING LIMITED 

Creating the home you love to live in 

As a local company, we appreciate the character and history of the Waikato and its 

homes. Whether it's a heritage home in Hamilton, a cozy cottage in the hills, or a 

family homestead in Cambridge, we want to help to build your story. 

Waikato's award winning residential building specialist. 

A passion for excellence 

Phone Andrew: 027 440 4508 | www.ajgraybuilding.co.nz 

Renovations | Additions | New builds | Decking

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 A J GRAY BUILDING LIMITED 41 


A J GRAY 

BUILDING 

LIMITED 

At first glance, this charming 

weatherboard home looks 

as if it has been part of the 

landscape for decades. 

That couldn’t be further 

from the truth, 

however. It’s recently 

built and perfectly meets the 

brief of “a new home filled 

with character and warmth”. 

The three-bedroom bungalow-style 

house with separate 

garage is intended to be a forever 

home for the builder and 

his family. 

It also showcases meticulous 

planning, attention to 

detail and creative customising 

— all skills requiring true 

passion for craftsmanship. 

Spread across 198sqm, 

the house is not the biggest 

around, but the 2.7m stud 

height, wider-than-standard 

hallway and generous rooms, 

mean there’s a sense of airiness 

and plenty of space. 

The open-plan living, 

dining and kitchen is large 

enough for everyone to spread 

out. 

Custom cabinetry in the 

kitchen, living room, media 

room and laundry adds to the 

bungalow-style charm. Four 

separate outdoor areas, some 

covered, allow the family to 

thoroughly enjoy the rural 

surrounds. 

This dream home has also 

been built with sustainability 

in mind. Rainwater is stored, 

Modern 

classic 

Matangi 

upgraded insulation has 

been used and a heat-transfer 

system installed. This 

character-filled labour of 

love is warm in every way. 


supplied by A J Gray 

Building Limited 

A childhood dream come true: 

the unique story of Ink Architecture 

Nick Timms’ journey 

to starting his 

Cambridge-based firm 

Ink Architecture was not a 

traditional one. Yet, with each 

new role, he picked up vital 

knowledge that informs the 

way he works today. 

Even as a child, Nick Timms 

knew he would one day start a 

design business. Having a keen 

interest in design from a young 

age, he did a landscape design 

course after leaving school. 

However, life would have other 

plans, sending Nick down a 

winding road of occupations, 

from roofing to architecture, 

that ultimately helped him get 

to where he is today: Architectural 

designer and director of 

his own firm, Ink Architecture. 

“I don’t come from a family 

of business owners, but I 

always had this inkling that I 

was going to own an architecture 

business. It’s been challenging, 

but it’s been rewarding 

too, just slowly building 

up more and more knowledge, 

gaining momentum and 

confidence.” 

His journey began after a 

landscaping opportunity fell 

through, and he got a job as a 

roofer. 

Working on building sites 

ignited a passion for the design 

and construction of houses, 

and Nick often found himself 

thinking about how he could 

make spaces better. 

From roofing Nick enrolled 

in an architectural technology 

course, going on to work for a 

few firms in Cambridge. However, 

the global financial crisis 

hit, redundancy followed and 

Nick ended up in the timber 

yard at Mitre10. 

“It was actually really cool to 

learn about timber sizes, timber 

treatments, how the frame and 

truss went together, and gain 

all that product knowledge.” 

After Mitre10, Nick 

started working for a Cambridge 

builder, gaining valuable 

on-site experience. “At 

this stage, I had a bit of experience 

with architecture, so I 

was learning what actually gets 

done on-site, and then comparing 

that to what needs to be 

included in drawings, and how 

often the builders actually look 

at the drawings.” 

Following his stint as a 

builder, Nick returned to 

Mitre10 as a rep, developing 

his understanding of pricing. 

“I started to form this ball of 

knowledge and I thought this 

is going to be really helpful if I 

ever do go out and do my own 

thing. That’s what gave me the 

courage to start thinking about 

the architecture business venture, 

and voilà, I started Ink 

Architecture.” 

Ink Architecture takes a 

collaborative approach to the 

design process, with both the 

client and the entire team heavily 

involved in the development 

of a project. After comprehensive 

consultations with the client, 

where Nick and his team 

seek to understand the ins and 

outs of their lifestyle, budget, 

and home requirements, the 

team will come together to 

brainstorm ideas. 

“We work really closely with 

our clients at that conceptual 

stage. It’s just a matter of putting 

all our heads together and 

coming up with the best possible 

outcome for both parties, 

because It’s not just our design, 

it’s our client’s design as well.” 

With the aid of 3D modelling 

and VR technology, the 

team are able to create virtual 

walkthroughs to help clients 

visualise their project. 

After plans and pricing are 

finalised, the drawings are prepared 

for building consent, a 

process managed by the Ink 

Architecture team. Then, when 

the build is underway, they 

conduct regular site visits to 

assess progress. 

“We get on with builders 

quite well, and because of my 

background, we can talk the 

builders’ language.” 

Ink Architecture is a boutique architectural 

design studio based in Cambridge, New Zealand. 

Comprised of Nick, Druden, Matthew and Greta, 

the Ink team work collaboratively with their 

clients to create, design and develop bespoke 

designs and construction drawings for all types 

of homes and projects with stunning results. 

47 ALPHA STREET, CAMBRIDGE | PO BOX 982, CAMBRIDGE | 07 823 1194 | 027 66 88 131

42 A J GRAY BUILDING LIMITED 


Modern 

classic 

Matangi 

Stained Glass Hamilton Ltd 

140 Tirohanga Drive 

Whangamata 3620 

0274 534 550 

www.sgohamilton.co.nz 

Servicing the Greater Waikato Region 

Proud to be part of a winning home

HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 SENTINEL HOMES WAIKATO 43 

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44 SENTINEL HOMES WAIKATO 


Volume/Group Housing New Home 

$500,000 - $750,000 

SENTINEL HOMES 

WAIKATO 

The site might be compact but the home 

is grand in every sense. And from the 

moment you set eyes on this address, 

a commanding presence is evident. 

Built to exacting specifications 

on the 

city outskirts, this 

home radiates style and 

sophistication. 

That’s immediately apparent 

from the reclaimed-brick 

cladding exterior, which 

stamps its impression on the 

house throughout. 

A clever design detail sees 

the use of the same brick carried 

through the entryway, 

creating a seamless transition 

from the outside world to the 

warm and inviting interior. 

Four bedrooms — each of generous 

size — and two bathrooms 

are contained within. 

The main bedroom has its own 

ensuite and spacious walk-in 

closet. 

There are two living rooms, 

too, in this 242sqm abode. 

High ceilings and large windows 

fill the main living area 

with natural light, lending a 

spacious and airy feel, and 

the elegant kitchen boasts an 

abundance of custom cabinetry, 

ample counter space and 

Let there 

be light 

Flagstaff 

top-end appliances. With a 

substantial outdoor deck, this 

home is built to accommodate 

and embrace all seasons. A 

double internal garage completes 

the package. 


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HOUSE OF THE YEAR 2023 SENTINEL HOMES WAIKATO 45 



WAIKATO 

No stone has been left unturned in the 

pursuit of the best in this builder’s own 

home in Hamilton. 

Let’s start with the sleek 

and stylish exterior: a 

beautiful blend of cedar 

and recycled Italian brick. 

Inside there are five-plus 

bedrooms, three bathrooms 

and two living rooms — all of 

substantial style and proportions. 

In the main bedroom, 

his and hers walk-in wardrobes 

and a luxe ensuite mean 

that busy parents can relax 

and enjoy their own space. Did 

we mention the state-of-the 

art media room to kick back 

and relax? The considerations 

continue outdoors, where 

there’s a sparkling pool and 

delightful alfresco space. The 

light-filled interior lends a 

cathedral-like aspect to the look 

of this 284sqm modern rural 

home, located conveniently 

within cooee of the city. Of 

course, with all these features 

at hand, you may not want to 

venture too far from home. 

Neutral tones with splashes 

of blue and blonde timber 

help this home blend with its 

peaceful rural surroundings. 

An oasis for entertainers and 

The entertainer 

Newstead 

families alike, this epitome 

of modern elegance offers a 

perfect balance of style and 

function whether you want to 

relax by the pool or make plans 

for the next party. 


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46 CAMBRIDGE HOMES 


GIB Show Home 

CAMBRIDGE 

HOMES NORTH 

WAIKATO 

Designed to be an accessible threebedroom 

home in the urban market, 

this easy-care 163sqm show home is 

an inner-city North Waikato haven. 

The earthy tones of the 

brick cladding and 

coloured steel roofing 

blend well with the landscaped 

frontage planted with 

natives and hardy shrubs. This 

compact build has a clever 

configuration that makes the 

most of light and space. 

For instance, the double 

garage accessed through a 

separate laundry has handy 

storage built into the design. 

The open-plan kitchen, dining 

and lounge areas are designed 

for easy family living, with a 

heat pump situated in the living 

area to ensure everything’s 

cosy. 

The Mastercraft kitchen 

is bright and beautiful, with 

Scandi timber tones that are 

illuminated by statement lighting 

and the large windows in 

the adjoining dining room. 

There’s plenty of storage and 

a seated bar area so family 

members can chat to the cook 

or gather for a cup of tea. Sizeable 

windows in all bedrooms 

create a sense of space and the 

two bathrooms each feature a 

large shower and clever use of 

LED. In the main bathroom, 

shimmering aqua-coloured tiling 

with a stylish alcove shelf 

beckon for a relaxing end-ofday 

soak in the bathtub. 


supplied by Cambridge 

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48 CAMBRIDGE HOMES 

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Is the news really news and should you care? 

Last month, it was revealed that the 

Government paid TVNZ to develop 

news content to promote its political 

agenda on the topic of climate change. 

The Government’s sponsorship, 

through the 

Energy Efficiency and 

Conservation Authority, 

included the guarantee of 

several news items covered on 

Breakfast and Seven Sharp as 

well as the development of an 

hour-long documentary. 

Sponsored content – news 

stories that are paid for by a 

company, organisation or government 

body to promote their 

views – is nothing new. However, 

what was controversial 

about this sponsorship, was 

the lack of transparency on the 

part of TVNZ. Then, when you 

throw in the fact that TVNZ is 

100% government-owned, this 

situation becomes quite murky 

quite quickly. 

Most of us watching these 

news items and the documentary 

or reading other content 

created by TVNZ under this 

sponsorship arrangement 

would likely not have spotted 

it was paid for by the Government 

and, thus, contained messages 

it wanted proliferated. 

If and when media outlets 

fail to be 100% overtly transparent 

about sponsored content, 

this will only serve to 

erode our trust in the media in 

general. 

Each year, international 

public relations firm, Edelman, 

releases what they call 

their Trust Barometer. Quoting 

from the 2023 Acumen 

Edelman Trust Barometer: 

“In terms of sources of trusted 

information, traditional media 

is still the most trusted in New 

Zealand closely followed by 

search engines. [However], 

worryingly, media is seen as 

a source of false or misleading 

information more than a 

reliable source of trustworthy 

information...” 

Sponsored content absolutely 

has a place in media. 

However, it’s important that 

sponsorship is disclosed 

ethically, with honesty and 

transparency. 

Adjacent to the topic of 

non-disclosure to sponsored 

content, what should be 

equally worrying to you and I 

is the rise in media bias. 

Traditionally, the news 

media has played the key role 

in society of shaping public 

opinion and driving discourse. 

We rely on good journalism to 

report facts, as well as diverse 

opinions, that allow the public 

to make informed decisions 

while holding community, corporate 

and political leaders to 

account. 

While media bias is nothing 

new, the proliferation of 

social and digital media, has 

amplified media bias around 

the world. Additionally, the 

PR AND 

COMMUNICATIONS 

BY HEATHER CLAYCOMB 

Heather Claycomb is director 

of HMC, a Hamilton-based, 

award-winning public 

relations agency. 

changing face of media has 

seen the rise of corporate ownership, 

a drive to sensationalise 

to gain ‘clicks,’ shrinking 

newsrooms and technological 

advancements that have 

impacted bias. 

So, how do we know if what 

we are seeing is paid or unpaid, 

biased or unbiased, true or 

inaccurate? 

The short answer is that it 

is becoming increasingly difficult. 

If you work in or around 

the media, then you are hyper 

aware of when a story is paid 

by its source. But even when 

the word ‘sponsored’ sits 

alongside a story, many people 

would not know what that 

means or would disregard it. 

The reality is that every one 

of us needs to take responsibility 

to uncover biased opinions 

and get to the truth behind the 

news. Here are five ways you 

can do that: 

1. Fact-check. This is 

increasingly important as 

brands and some media 

start to rely on generative 

AI, which is inaccurate at 

best. A great fact-checking 

site I consult is Snopes. 

com, but there are many 

free fact-checkers available 

online. 

2. Be a sceptic. Cultivate 

a healthy scepticism 

toward the information you 

encounter in the media and 

online. Consult different 

sources to get closer to the 

unbiased truth. 

3. Diversify your media 

diet. Get in the habit of 

reading several different 

news sources. Don’t rely on 

just one. If you’re reading 

an international news story, 

check out what National 

Public Radio in the US, 

Associated Press or Reuters 

are saying about it. These 

three outlets have been 

shown to be the least biased 

and most accurate worldwide 

by Ad Fontes Media. 

Check out the ‘interactive 

media bias chart’ on their 

website. 

4. Spot sponsored content. 

Again, sponsored 

content isn’t ‘bad.’ There 

are a lot of great stories in 

the media that are paid. 

However, it’s important to 

consume these items with 

the understanding that it 

is biased toward what the 

funder wants you to know. 

Paid content will normally 

indicate such with the word 

‘sponsored.’ Paid posts 

on social media indicate 

it’s paid with the words, 

‘sponsored post,’ or with 

the hashtags #ad, #gift or 

#spon. 

5. Demand transparency. 

Call it out when you know 

there’s a bias, inaccuracy 

or a sponsor behind news 

stories that hasn’t been disclosed 

properly. 

Inaugural Xero Beautiful Business 

Fund a boost for small business 

Over $750,000 NZD in 

funding up for grabs 

for small businesses 

globally 

Coinciding with Xero 

Day 2023 - the day of Xero’s 

founding 17 years ago - Xero, 

the global small business platform, 

announced a new global 

small business fund with more 

than NZ$750,000 in funding, 

to support the future aspirations 

of small businesses 

globally. 

Designed to celebrate small 

businesses, empower success 

and accelerate their growth, 

the Xero Beautiful Business 

Fund Xero is open to small 

business customers in Australia, 

New Zealand, Singapore, 

South Africa, the United 

States, Canada and the United 

Kingdom. 

Customers in each country 

will be eligible to apply for the 

following funding categories 

that best suit their needs. 

• Innovating for sustainability: 

For small 

businesses who want 

to take the next step 

on their sustainability 

journey. It could be 

to move to sustainable 

packaging, implement 

energy-efficient equipment 

or carbon neutral 

transport. 

• Trailblazing with 

technology: For small 

businesses seeking to 

take the next step to 

supercharge their business 

by digitalising 

parts of their operations 

or integrating new 

emerging technologies. 

• Strengthening community 

connection: 

For small businesses 

or non-profits 

striving towards community 

connection. It 

could be to contribute 

to philanthropy, social 

good, or make an impact 

on the community in a 

meaningful way. 

• Upskilling for the 

future: For small 

businesses seeking to 

support upskilling for 

themselves or their 

employees so they can 

access training and 

development to further 

grow. 

For each category, there 

will be seven regional winners 

identified by a regional judging 

panel. The pool of regional 

winners in each category will 

then be evaluated by a global 

judging panel and the winner 

of each category will receive an 

additional global prize. 

Xero CEO Sukhinder Singh 

Cassidy says the Xero Beautiful 

Business Fund is an opportunity 

to allocate funds to 

back small businesses to help 

them achieve whatever success 

means to them. 

“We believe small businesses 

run the world and as 

champions of small business, 

Xero is providing an opportunity 

for customers to apply for 

funding to take their next step. 

Whether that be to support 

a passion to become a more 

sustainable business, upskill 

employees, philanthropic 

work in the community, or 

integrating the latest AI into 

their business, the fund is here 

to help small businesses meet 

their dreams.” 

The application, inclusive 

of a written form and a short 

video submission, will be 

available until 6 October 2023. 

Information on the Xero 

Beautiful Business Fund can 

be found at xero.com/ 

beautiful-business-fund.

50 

Government Ends 

Covid-19 Restrictions 

Mandatory isolation for Covid-19 is no longer required. However, 

the Ministry of Health’s guidance is that people should selfisolate 

for at least five days if they are unwell, or they test 

positive for Covid-19. The obligation for the wearing of face 

masks for visitors to healthcare facilities has also been removed. 

In summary, the changes 

which came into effect 

from 12.01am Tuesday, 

August 15 mean that all 

Covid-19 requirements have 

been removed and are no 

longer in place. 

Covid-19 Leave Support 

Scheme (LSS) 

The Covid-19 Leave Support 

Scheme also ended on August 

15 and associated payments 

will no longer be available 

through the Ministry of Social 

Development for employees 

who tests positive for Covid- 

19 after this date. 

What Do Employer’s Pay 

Employees Who Have 

Covid-19? 

If an employee has Covid-19 

and is unable to work, then 

usual considerations relating 

to sickness and the taking of 

sick leave apply. This means 

if an employee has paid sick 

leave entitlement available, 

then they should utilise that in 

the first instance. 

Alternatively, if the 

employee has exhausted all 

of their paid sick leave entitlement, 

or have no entitlement 

available, then they may 

need to take unpaid sick leave, 

unless of course they are still 

fit enough to be able to work 

and can work from home. 

An employee who has 

tested positive for Covid- 

19 should not be permitted 

to work at the employer’s 

premises because there is a 

risk of spreading the virus 

further. The employer and 

the employee may need to 

consider what the available 

options are: 

• Taking paid sick leave; 

• Taking unpaid sick leave; 

• Working from home (if the 

employee is able to); 

• Taking sick leave in 

advance of entitlement; 

• Annual leave by agreement. 

Can Employer Request a 

Medical Certificate? 

Grayson Clements 

promotes four legal 

staff to new positions 

Yes, an employer can request 

that an employee provide a 

medical certificate to support 

any period of absence for 

sickness, including Covid-19 

at any time. There are rules 

relating to who pays for meeting 

expenses associated with 

obtaining a medical certificate 

in terms of paid sick leave entitlement 

under the Holidays Act 

2003, which may need to be 

considered. 

Alternatively, an employer all of their entitlement to paid 

may require an employee to sick leave, then the employer 

produce a medical certificate 

may require them to produce a 

at their own expense for medical certificate at their own 

any sick leave taken outside expense for unpaid sick leave. 

of their paid sick leave entitlements 

EAL’s employment agreement 

under the Holidays builder on the Employers Tool- 

Act. However, an employer box has this particular clause 

should have contractual provision 

available. Outside of this word- 

under the terms of an ing, then the employer should 

employee’s employment agreement 

pay associated costs in terms of 

which makes this clear. the employee providing a med- 

Namely, wording that says if ical certificate in the event the 

WAIKATO the employee BUSINESS has exhausted NEWS, employer JULY/AUGUST requires one. 2023 

Requiring a RAT Test 

The Ministry of Health still 

want RAT test results to be 

reported. As before, submissions 

of positive results will 

receive an SMS acknowledgment 

from the official 2328 or 

2648 numbers to confirm the 

positive result. 

An employer could accept 

evidence of this as proof of that 

the employee has Covid-19, 

thus saving the expense with 

requiring a medical certificate 

and additional pressure on the 

health system, i.e. time and 

resource in terms of providing 

a medical certificate. 

Report RAT test results at 

https://covid19.govt.nz/ 

testing-and-isolation/ 

if-you-have-covid-19 

From Employers 

Assistance Ltd newsletter 

– employers.co.nz 

Hamilton law firm Grayson Clements has promoted four of 

its legal staff to new positions within the firm. 

Elizabeth Hussain and 

Donna Gifford have 

been promoted from 

associates to senior associates, 

and Philip McHugh and 

Emily Schwikkard have been 

promoted from lawyers to 

associates. 

Director Andrew Clements 

says the promotions are 

an exciting step forward for 

Elizabeth, Donna, Philip and 

Emily and for the firm itself. 

“Our promotion pathway 

is very much about recognising 

our people not just for 

their technical skill and excellence, 

but also their leadership 

potential, character and relationships 

with clients. 

“We’re very proud to recognise 

the efforts of Elizabeth, 

Donna, Philip and Emily, and 

congratulate them on their 

very well-earned promotions 

here at Grayson Clements.” 

Philip McHugh’s legal passion 

is in tech, coupled with an 

expertise in corporate structuring 

which has seen him 

pioneer legal agreements in 

complex sectors involving digital 

enterprise, cryptocurrency 

and NFTs. Philip works with 

clients to understand their 

drivers and develop solutions 

that protect their interests 

both now and in the future. 

Emily Schwikkard specialises 

in general civil and commercial 

litigation and has 

experience in novel estate 

claims, significant trust matters 

and insurance matters. 

She has a calm and pragmatic 

approach to dispute management 

of all types and works 

closely with a wide network of 

Barristers and other professionals 

to deliver results. 

Elizabeth Hussain is a specialist 

property and finance 

practitioner, and regularly 

advises institutional, commercial 

and high net wealth private 

clients. Elizabeth’s motivation 

is client relationship 

management and building a 

team to understand and meet 

client needs. 

Donna Gifford has a core 

focus on residential conveyancing. 

Donna is a Fellow of 

the New Zealand Institute of 

Legal Executives with more 

than 15 years experience in 

every type of conveyance. Her 

clients benefit from her extensive 

experience and her interaction 

with the team which 

also makes her a key link 

between Grayson Clements’ 

property clients and the wider 

legal team. 

Philip McHugh, Elizabeth Hussain, Emily Schwikkard, Donna Gifford 

Grayson Clements – Design, Deliver, Protect 

Grayson Clements was established in 2008 by lawyers Michael Grayson and Andrew 

Clements, who both had a desire to grow a firm that focused on designing solutions, 

delivering results and protecting people. Their work and reputation have gained 

traction and their client base has grown organically to a point where they now have 

a team of 25 staff across a range of practice areas.

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52 CHILD FOCUS 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 

The challenges of monitoring 

of AI chatbots for schoolwork 

Over half of NZ parents won’t allow 

children to use AI for schoolwork and 

only 46% trust school technology 

policies and online security measures. 

Nearly two-thirds of Kiwi parents worry 

children post things on social media 

that could impact them later in life. 

Large language models 

like ChatGPT have 

captured the world’s 

attention in the past months for 

their impressive ability to craft 

short stories, write poems, and 

provide human-like answers 

to questions in seconds, have 

been presenting a new technology-related 

dilemma for 

parents in New Zealand. 

A new survey from Norton, 

a Cyber Safety brand of Gen, 

has found that Kiwi parents, 

many of whom already feel 

their children are too addicted 

to screens, now face a new challenge 

from AI chatbots—the 

ease at which they can be used 

for completing schoolwork. 

Over half (51%) of New Zealand 

parents with school-aged 

children between 4 and 17 said 

they would not allow or trust 

their children to use AI to complete 

schoolwork. 

However, nearly 2 in 3 

respondents (59%) with children 

under 18 years of age 

said their children go online 

independently, for either fun 

or education. This could make 

it challenging for parents to 

monitor how their children are 

using the internet. 

Furthermore, only 46% of 

all respondents with children 

17 years or under trust school 

technology policies and online 

security measures, while 36% 

of parents with school-aged 

children believe schools are 

not doing enough to educate 

and protect children from 

online threats. 

“I wouldn’t want my children 

to use AI tools to do 

their homework, because 

answers can come too easily, 

and I worry they won’t learn 

to become independent thinkers. 

But it’s almost impossible 

to prohibit them from taking 

the easy way out because to be 

fair, who wants to spend hours 

putting in the grind when a 

pretty good response is produced 

within seconds from the 

glut of AI tools?” Dancing with 

the Stars digital content creator 

and professional dancer 

Nerida Jantti says. 

Apart from worries about 

how AI may be misused by 

children, parents are also 

concerned about other online 

risks, including: 

• 50% are worried their children 

are exposed to inappropriate 

content 

• 44% are worried they are 

being befriended by someone 

online who is trying 

to scam/manipulate their 

children (e.g., grooming) 

• 43% are worried about 

cyberbullying 

• 31% are worried about their 

children getting addicted to 

the internet/ social media 

Even though parents are 

concerned about online risks 

for their children, 69% of 

respondents are confident they 

know enough about online 

safety to keep their families 

safe. This confidence is perhaps 

reflected in how Kiwi 

parents place a premium 

on privacy even whilst they 

share their children’s lives on 

social media. 

Of the 30% of respondents 

with school-aged children who 

post photos of their kids, 58% 

are careful about features in 

the picture that identify the 

school, and 70% are careful 

about things in the picture that 

identify their children’s home. 

87% of respondents who 

post photos of their children 

online use privacy settings, and 

85% of respondents who share 

photos of their children online 

have strict privacy settings on 

their social media accounts to 

ensure they share only within 

their network. 

Of the parents who have 

posted photos of their children 

online, 80% of them do so on 

Facebook, 42% on Instagram, 

and 13% utilise Snapchat for 

that purpose. 

To help parents keep their 

kids safe and from inappropriately 

relying on generative 

AI, Norton recommends 

parents to: 

• Understand: Ask children 

about how they use 

their devices. Get involved 

and invested in their online 

activities to understand the 

unique risks they may be 

exposed to. An open dialogue 

about safe internet practices 

can help get kids into a better 

rhythm of sharing their 

online experiences openly, 

allowing parents to address 

challenges early on. 

• Educate: Talk to your children 

about the most ubiquitous 

online threats such as 

cyberbullying, screen addiction, 

and grooming, and 

arm them with the ability to 

spot these risks. Help children 

understand the pros 

and cons of using AI tools 

for education or fun and 

have a go at some of these 

tools together. 

• Curate: Curate a variety 

of AI tools that are suitable 

for your children’s age. Set 

boundaries about when they 

are encouraged or allowed to 

use those tools. 

• Take charge: Install safeguards 

such as cybersecurity 

software on digital devices 

at home. Cyber safety plans 

such as Norton Family and 

Norton 360 Premium offer a 

range of features to help parents 

monitor their children’s 

Internet usage and help 

keep everyone’s data and 

devices safe. 

At Kip McGrath, our focus is to help your 

child reach their full potential 

We make learning relevant and engaging which boosts 

self-confidence and success in class. Students can be taught in centre 

or online face to face at home. Give your child a boost today. 

CENTRE • PHONE NUMBER 

Address 

Hamilton East - 29 Hukanui CENTRE kipmcgrath.co.nz/centre 

Road, • PHONE Fairfield, NUMBER Hamilton 3214 | 07 853 5013 

Address 

Hamilton West - 89 Rimu Street, Whitiora, Hamilton 3200 | 07 848 2262 

kipmcgrath.co.nz/centre 

Learning to succeed 

at Kip McGrath 

Hamilton has two Kip 

McGrath Centres that 

provide quality tuition 

in Mathematics and English, 

including NCEA level one 

and two. 

The goal is to help students 

succeed in class, no matter if 

they are the dux or one who 

really struggles such as dyslexic 

students. We do English, this “Mathematics, 

through spelling, personalised reading, tutoring and 

sessions, writing and are which include taught, 

plenty including of one-on-one NCEA math attention and 

by English. trained qualified Programmes teachers. are 

modified Students as children quickly develop achieve 

a their sense goals,” of Kip achievement McGrath principal 

Paul learning Kelly says. is “Our not only goal 

and 

discover 

successful is to help – students it’s enjoyable succeed 

too. in class. They We also do have this many through students 

weekly who 70--minute just work tutoring online 

from sessions home that in are a live personalised tutoring 

session. for every student and include 

one-on-one Kip McGrath attention.” teachers tailor 

Students the programme work within to the a supportive, 

needs small of group each student setting run as 

specific 

identified by trained in qualified the initial teachers. free 

assessment. 

“They quickly develop a sense 

of The achievement sessions feature and discover a mix 

of learning books, is not worksheets only successful and 

computer – it’s enjoyable activities too,” Paul providing says. 

the They variety also that have a several student’s students 

needs who just to keep work engaged, online. 

brain 

motivated This has grown and since learning. the lock 

Some down and of our will teachers be a growth are area well 

trained for the centres. in structured literacy 

and The use sessions this training feature to a help mix 

students improve their liter- 

Hamilton has two Kip acy. McGrath As the student Centres gets older, that well have used. been 

they have more input into the 

providing excellent up 

content 

to date 

of the 

and 

lesson. 

relevant 

This 

tuition for 

over 20 years. They offer tailors individual tutoring to their learning needs programmes 

tailored to the specific 

and 

needs 

increases 

of 

engagement, 

each student as 

identified in the initial free assessment. 

Paul and Rosemary Kelly receiving awards for their 

two centres in Hamilton from Storm McGrath CEO 

of Kip McGrath. Australasian Conference in July 

of books, worksheets and computer 

activities providing the 

variety that a student’s brain 

needs to keep engaged, motivated 

and learning. As the student 

gets older, they have more 

input into the content of the 

lesson. This tailors tutoring 

to their needs and increases 

engagement, ensuring the time 

ensuring the time with us is 

Free assessments can be 

made online at kipmcgrath. 

co.nz or by ringing 07 848 

2262 Help your child now. 

with the tutors is well used. 

The centres cater for a wide 

range of students from duxes 

of schools to those who really 

struggle, including dyslexic 

students. 

Free assessments can be 

made online at Kipmcgrath. 

co.nz or by ringing Paul 07 

8482262. Help your child now.

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PropertY & 

development 

A WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS SUPPLEMENT / WBN.CO.NZ 

JULY/AUGUST 2023

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT 55 

Uncertain, variable property market likely 

to remain through to general election 

The Hamilton residential property 

market continues to feel the effects of 

constrained listings coupled with a ‘wait 

and see’ attitude from both buyers and 

sellers which may linger until after the 

October general election. 

Lodge Real Estate 

managing director 

Jeremy O’Rourke says 

there are five key variables 

impacting the Hamilton property 

market, which is triggering 

caution among buyers and 

vendors alike. These include 

limited stock, potential government 

policy changes, investor 

inactivity, interest rate uncertainty 

and the impacts of both 

immigration and emigration. 

“The most immediate variable 

impacting Hamilton’s 

market is that prices are still 

under pressure to rise due to 

the limited housing stock we 

have available in the city. The 

number of homes for sale in 

Hamilton at the beginning of 

August was sitting at around 

640, a big drop from the figures 

in April and May which 

were in excess of 900.” 

While historically listings 

dip each winter, this July was 

especially quiet and could 

point to the uncertainty the 

market is feeling as we head 

into the general election, says 

Jeremy. 

“Buyers will be looking to 

see what policy changes will 

be coming. Plus, we may see 

the return of investors back 

into the market, a group that 

has been largely absent due to 

interest rates rising, the lack of 

deductibility, and an increased 

Brightline test. 

“We’re also seeing people 

emigrate, moving to greener 

pastures, with Australia being 

the most obvious choice. 

So, while there is currently 

demand in the market, that 

could swing the other way 

entirely if there’s a mass exodus 

post-election. Conversely, 

immigration into the country, 

and specifically into Hamilton, 

does remain strong. So, 

that will help to balance any 

Lodge Real Estate 

managing director 

Jeremy O’Rourke 

population exits.” 

Jeremy says that while 

housing demand in Hamilton 

remains steady, the city 

is unlikely to see a positive 

impact on various market 

indicators, including any price 

rises, for about two months’ 

time. 

“What typically happens 

just before prices start to rise, 

is we start getting surprised 

by what individual properties 

are selling for, which is 

what we are seeing now. So, 

that’s a positive, early indicator 

of change that could be 

coming for the Hamilton market. 

There’s every indication 

now that in two months’ time 

we could see house medians 

and averages start to rise.” 

However, he says the 

months preceding the election 

will continue to bear some 

uncertainty, particularly as 

housing supply remains constrained 

with vendors holding 

tight. 

“So, it’s a case of waiting 

and seeing just which variables 

will play out in order to gather 

some certainty toward the end 

of the year.” 

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56 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT 


How Fosters have built a 50-year legacy 

Founded in 1948 and incorporated in 1973, Foster Construction Group Limited (Fosters) 

celebrates 50 years in 2023. 

‘More than just a construction 

company’ 

Started in the 1950s by 

a father and son, Les and 

Graham Foster, Fosters has 

become an iconic, award-winning, 

multi-million-dollar 

company, employing 

over 200 people across their 

Waikato and Bay of Plenty 

teams. 

Their ongoing success 

comes down to a leadership 

decision for Fosters to be 

‘more than just a construction 

company.’ 

“It’s the people who make 

Fosters great,” says 

Fosters CEO, Nigel Sun. 

“And that’s a statement I 

genuinely believe in. When 

you look at our his-tory, it’s 

about people, com-munities 

and going above and beyond. 

“In 2023, we celebrate 

our strength as a team, working 

hard to deliver on what 

we all believe is a meaningful 

vision: great communities 

through strong foundations. 

“To do this, we live and 

breathe our fundamental values 

of leadership, relationship, 

passion, and integrity. 

“This means that we willingly 

take a leadership position 

to make things happen, 

we recognise that relationships 

are fundamental to 

delivering on our purpose, 

we’re passionate about the 

construction industry and 

we can be relied on to do the 

right thing. 

“These values have provided 

a pathway for how we 

operate and for the kind of 

people we attract to work 

here. ‘The Fosters Way’ is 

what sets us apart.” 

Offering services in construction, 

property development, 

engineering and property 

maintenance, Fosters not 

only deliver quality buildings, 

they can add value to property 

for years to come. 

Part of Hamilton’s history 

The Trade News observed 

in 1995: ‘Foster Construction 

had its beginnings in Morrinsville 

in the 1950s, moved 

to Hamilton in the 1960s and 

has been writing its signature 

on Hamilton and parts of the 

Waikato ever since.’ 

From schools to hospitals, 

warehouses, office blocks, 

lecture theatres, performing 

arts centres, St Mary’s Cathedral 

on Grey Street, to the 

Claudelands Event Centre – 

Fosters have left their mark. 

Their latest iconic developments 

include Union Square 

and the Waikato Regional 

Theatre in the Hamilton CBD. 

Where community comes 

first 

After construction, Fosters 

is best known for community 

building. They look after their 

business partners and purposely 

engage local contractors 

wherever possible. 

Key Fosters sponsorships 

include the Waikato Chamber 

of Commerce Business 

Awards, Chiefs Rugby and 

Northern Districts Cricket. 

Through the Fosters Custodian 

Trust, the Foster500 has 

donated more than $200,000 

to the local community over 

the last 7 years. This money 

is channelled through Fosters 

staff into sponsorships or 

donations of their choice. 

‘Placemaking’ is their legacy, 

too. A buzz word in the 

1990s, placemaking was 

about transforming public 

space to strengthen the experience 

and connections made 

between people and place, 

creating lifestyle and business 

opportunities. Both Hamilton 

Gardens and Downtown Plaza 

were examples of this. Today, 

Fosters develop team continues 

this theme, with recent 

projects including Lakewood 

in Cambridge, Tamahere Village 

and Omokoroa Village in 

the Bay of Plenty. 

Committed to sustainability 

Sustainable development, 

which the Hamilton City 

Council coined in its 2001 

annual report as “development 

which meets the needs 

of the present without compromising 

the ability of future 

generations to meet their 

needs” became core to Fosters 

operations early on. 

Fosters have been members 

of the New Zealand 

Green Building Council 

(NZGBC) since its inception 

in 2005. And since 2010, 

they are the only construction 

company in New Zealand to 

hold both Toitu carbon zero 

and enviromark diamond certifications. 

Leadership and succession 

Strong leaders founded the 

business, carried it through 

several recessions, grew the 

company into what it is today 

and are now shaping the leaders 

of tomorrow. 

Fosters offer a clear career 

pathway, with future leaders 

selected and trained through 

a customised 3-tier leadership 

programme, developed 

between Fosters and Wintec. 

Fosters new tagline ‘building 

with purpose’ reflects 

how they operate and what’s 

important to them. Marking 

50 years is just as important 

to management as planning 

the next 50 years is. 

“Fosters have indeed 

become ‘more than just a 

construction company’,” 

concludes Nigel. 

We have a 

legacy to be 

proud of and 

we are set on 

being part of 

the future. 

I believe we 

have the right 

people to take 

us forward and 

the vision to 

succeed. 

Given the current economic 

environment, an official 

celebration of this significant 

milestone has been 

postponed. 

FOSTERS.CO.NZ 07 849 3849

Rodney Stirling 


Stirling 

Rodney 

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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT 57 

A resilient sector well positioned 

to navigate headwinds 

The Registered Master Builders 

Association’s annual State of the 

Sector survey has revealed that while 

the building and construction sector 

continues to face significant challenges, 

there are encouraging signs of 

underlying resilience in the sector. 

Released at this year’s 

Constructive Forum, 

the survey identifies the 

biggest challenges and opportunities 

facing the sector. For the 

first time, the survey explored 

both the supply and demand 

sides of construction. Over 

1,200 sector participants and 

homeowners who had built or 

completed a significant renovation 

in the past three years 

responded to questions about 

their experience building, the 

economy, critical issues they 

were facing, and their outlook 

for the sector. 

A key result from the survey 

revealed that while 79% of 

sector participants think the 

economy will deteriorate over 

the next 12 months, only 31% of 

builders think their own businesses 

will be worse off. 

Master Builders chief executive 

David Kelly is optimistic 

about the survey results. “This 

is a sign of underlying resilience 

in the sector, with many having 

strong order books and consent 

numbers remaining high. 

There is still demand across 

the sector, especially so in the 

commercial construction sector, 

where the pipeline remains 

incredibly strong.” 

This sentiment was shared 

by homeowners, with the survey 

revealing that nearly half 

(45%) of all homeowners stating 

they would recommend 

building to others in the current 

environment. 

The survey also revealed 

that the sector is still confronted 

with ongoing challenges. Cost 

escalation (96%), supply chain 

disruption in concert with product 

availability and increasing 

product substitution (95%), and 

skill shortages (67%) were identified 

as the three most critical 

challenges facing the sector, all 

an increased proportion on the 

year prior. 

“While these issues were 

also felt keenly last year, they 

are significantly more accentuated 

in this year’s survey. 

Additional costs and project 

delays are the consequence of 

the pressures facing the sector, 

and in turn these are causing a 

rise in the number of customer 

complaints and disputes,” 

Kelly says. 

“Finding skilled staff also 

has appeared in the top five 

issues every year since we 

began constructive seven years 

ago. What is reassuring is 

that apprentice numbers are 

increasing, and more of those 

surveyed are taking on new 

apprentices than ever before.” 

Almost 60% of respondents 

say it’s harder to get the 

staff they need than it was 12 

months ago. This builds on 

last year’s results where 66% 

of respondents were already 

finding it harder to get the staff 

they needed than in 2020. Of 

those looking to bring skilled 

labour into the country, only 

7% say the current settings 

are allowing them to bring in 

the labour they need. 31% are 

bringing people in, but with 

difficulty, and 62% are not able 

to bring in the skilled people 

they need. The current immigration 

settings are seen as 

being too complex, cumbersome, 

and time-consuming to 

navigate. 

Consenting continues to 

also be a significant issue for 

the sector, with 80% of respondents 

reportedly impacted by 

consenting delays, which is consistent 

with last year. 

“Consenting is an area where 

some quick wins could save the 

sector considerable time and 

costs – both sector participants 

and homeowners are reporting 

the cost increases and disruption 

caused by unresponsive 

consenting processes. While we 

are pleased to see this is on the 

Government’s reform agenda, 

we need to ensure we develop 

WE ARE THE BEST 

some fast improvements to help 

the system now, while the full 

review takes place,” Kelly says. 

The survey highlights the 

impact these issues continue 

to have on the sectors’ mental 

wellbeing. 87% percent of 

respondents noticed a rise in 

stress or mental health issues 

in their business over the last 

12 months. 

“This was on top of an 

already stressed sector, as 

seen in last year’s result, in 

which 88% of people said that 

stress and mental wellbeing 

Certified Contractor 

Contractor 

Superfloor 

was an issue in their Certified business. 

We must improve the mental 

wellbeing of the sector to 

TM 

HTC 

keep delivering the homes and 

TM 

infrastructure that New Zealand 

needs,” he says. 

Despite these challenges, 

Superfloor 

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there is an opportunity to 

shape the direction of the current 

cycle. 

“The market may be turning, 

but we shouldn’t talk ourselves 

into a deeper downturn. 

Let’s not underestimate the sectors 

resilience. 

"This is very different to 

the previous downturn after 

the GFC, when all work just 

stopped. This time we still have 

strong order books, especially 

across renovation and commercial 

construction. And the Government 

is committed to a large 

civic building programme. 

“It is important to remember, 

if you are in a position to 

do so – now is still a good time 

to build. It is also unlikely to get 

cheaper to build in the future,” 

Kelly says. 



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58 PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT 


To those building 

opportunities. 

We’re excited to see how the 

Waikato is growing and developing, 

driven by the businesses bringing 

people to the area, and providing 

our communities with unique and 

innovative places to live, work 

and play. You’re creating a truly 

world-class region with a bright 

future. Thank you. 

You 

belong 

here.

NZ BLOOD 

59 

New Zealand Blood 

Service opens doors to 

state-of-the-art centre 

The new Hamilton 

Blood Donor Centre 

opened its doors to 

a state-of-the-art 

donor centre on the 

corner of Anglesea 

and London Street. 

Purpose built for New 

Zealand Blood Service 

(NZBS) by Hamilton-based 

Stark Property, 

the centre will help meet 

future demand for blood and 

blood plasma, and better 

suit the needs of the Waikato 

donor community. 

NZBS CEO Sam Cliffe says 

an enhanced donor experience 

was integral to designing the 

$4.5-million-dollar centre. 

“The previous Hamilton 

Donor Centre on the Waikato 

Hospital grounds have been 

an amazing home for NZBS 

over the past 30 years, but it 

was time to move into a more 

contemporary, future-proofed 

facility,” she says. 

“The biggest change is the 

Tom Davies, Jan Gilby, Sam Cliffe (CEO NZBS), 

Koro Ami and Justin Vodone-min 

newly expanded donor floor, 

which now encompasses 

950sqm. We’ve doubled the 

number of beds from 12 up 

to 24, which will allow us to 

increase our collection capacity 

in the future. This is absolutely 

crucial given the ever-increasing 

need for blood and plasma 

products across New Zealand.” 

The Waikato currently has 

an active donor panel of just 

under 25,000, but in order to 

keep pace with the demand 

for blood and blood products, 

NZBS needs to increase its 

whānau of donors in the region 

by 20 percent. It’s hoped that 

the opening of the new, centrally 

located donor centre will 

encourage more Hamiltonians 

to roll up their sleeves. 

Every week more than 

800 donations are needed in 

Hamilton. 

“We’ve tried to make it as 

easy as possible for new donors 

to access the centre,” Cliffe says. 

“There are also now 30 

on-site underground carparks 

and our newly central location 

is easier to access as it’s within 

walking distance of the Hamilton 

CBD and Transport Centre.” 

CONTINUED - PAGE 60 

Building People 

Creating a Sustainable Future 

..... Since 1910 

Proud to be part of the NZ Blood Service project 

31 McKee Street, Pukete, Hamilton Phone (07) 839 7023 www.naylorlove.co.nz

60 NZ BLOOD 


FROM - PAGE 59 

The donor centre, developed 

in collaboration with 

Stark Property, incorporates a 

number of sustainable design 

features including low energy 

LED lighting, EV chargers 

in the carpark, and low-flow 

water fittings. A solar power 

array on the rooftop generates 

20-25 percent of the building’s 

annual electricity demand and 

storm water retention tanks will 

help reduce pressure on council 

infrastructure during heavy 

rainfall events. 

The opening ceremony 

included a mihi whakatau 

led by Te Haa o te Whenua o 

Kirikiriroa. 

Special guests included 

some of Waikato’s most prolific 

donors, who have collectively 

donated more than 1900 

times. Tom Davies, with his 

remarkable 500 donations, was 

joined by other high-profile 

donors Mervyn Balloch (358 

donations), Koro Amai (294 

donations), Justin Vodane (258 

donations), and Paul Barnett 

(230 donations). 

“NZBS relies on the generosity 

of its donors to help save 

lives, so it’s only fitting that we 

celebrate the opening of our 

new home in Hamilton with 

some of our longest serving 

donors in the region for whom 

giving blood or plasma has 

been a lifelong commitment,” 

Cliffe says. 

In addition to the enhanced 

donor areas, the new site 

will also have a logistics area 

(including a service yard), and 

offices for National Office and 

support staff. 

Waikato, make a New Year's Season's resolution 

to save lives. 

This spring, turn over a new leaf and become a blood or plasma donor. 

Waikato needs 800 donations a week to keep up with demand. 

Can you help? 

0800 GIVE BLOOD 

nzblood.co.nz 

GIVE BLOOD. GIVE PLASMA. GIVE HOPE.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 NZ BLOOD 61 

Mikyla’s story 

Little did Mikyla Winchcombe 

imagine when she was in the depths 

of her cancer journey that she would 

one day be working for one of the 

key players in her survival. 

Being diagnosed 

with acute myeloid 

leukaemia at 21 was 

not an ideal way for Mikyla to 

welcome in her twenties. 

A blood cancer where excess 

of immature white blood cells 

or myeloid line of blood-forming 

cells is made by the bone 

marrow, the leukaemia set 

Mikyla on a journey of repeated 

chemo treatments and lengthy 

stays in hospital. 

“I had four rounds of chemo 

at Waikato Hospital and basically, 

because my cancer was 

so aggressive, I also needed a 

stem cell transplant,” she says. 

The best bet for a stem cell 

match is usually a sibling but 

sadly Mikyla’s brother was only 

a half match. 

“If they couldn't find anyone 

else from the bone marrow 

donor registry, they would 

have used him but it is quite 

risky to do a half match so then 

they went to the international 

donor registry.” 

Thankfully a match was 

found in Germany and Mikyla 

was able to receive the stem cell 

transplant that saved her life. 

In New Zealand, blood 

donors can ask to join the NZ 

Bone Marrow Donor Registry 

and an extra tube of 

blood is taken for tissue-typing 

tests and entered into a 

national database. 

The New Zealand Bone 

Marrow Donor Registry is part 

of a worldwide network of registries 

which contain over 40 

million unrelated volunteer 

donors and cord blood units. 

Now in remission, Mikyla is 

grateful to all the parts of the 

healthcare system that assisted 

in her recovery. 

Taking on the role donor 

relations co-ordinator with the 

NZ Blood Service provided the 

perfect opportunity for Mikyla 

to work for one of the services 

that kept her alive. 

“Each round of chemo 

wiped out my bone marrow. 

Bone marrow produces red 

blood cells that carry oxygen, 

white blood cells that prevent 

infection and platelets 

that control bleeding. The 

outcome of no bone marrow 

Mikyla Winchcombe (right) 

with fellow donor relations 

coordinator Jan Johnston 

for a patient’s life is almost 

always fatal.” 

To counteract this and 

help get Mikyla strong enough 

to have the stem cell treatment, 

she required regular 

blood transfusions. 

“I would need whole blood 

to top me up every few days. 

It made a huge difference. On 

days where my haemoglobin 

levels were low, I couldn’t get 

out of bed. The days where I 

would receive a transfusion 

would mean I would be able 

to stand without getting dizzy, 

have a shower and feel a bit 

more me again.” 

Mikyla’s also required regular 

platelet transfusion to boost 

her depleted platelet count. 

“Platelets stop you from 

bleeding out, basically they clot 

the blood. I would get blood 

noses and then I'd have a platelet 

top up and the same process 

would repeat about every two 

days and same with the blood. 

If it wasn't blood one day it was 

platelets or sometimes it was 

both when I was really sick, and 

sometimes twice a day.” 

After Mikyla had her stem 

cell transplant, the donor 

cells kicked in and took over 

her immune system, and 

now her body is producing 

its own platelets and new red 

blood cells. 

Like many people, before 

her brush with cancer, Mikyla 

thought most blood donations 

were used on accident victims 

and the like. 

“So, for me it wasn't a case 

of bleeding out from a car accident. 

It was literally just keeping 

me alive and every single 

person on the cancer ward 

or the haematology ward is 

the same.” 

The NZ Blood Service collects 

approximately 106,000 

whole blood donations, 

110,000 plasma donations 

and 18,000 units of platelets 

and 26 per cent goes to cancer 

patients. 

“Everyone knows someone 

who has or has had cancer. 

So, if that's not a reason to 

donate, I don’t know what is,” 

Mikyla says. 

Having being on the side of 

needing blood to now promoting 

the service to new donors 

and maintaining relationships 

with current donors, Mikyla is 

in a good place to talk the talk. 

“Over the course of my 

treatment, I received over 70 

units of blood and platelets. 

And not only that, New Zealand 

Blood has joined forces 

with the bone marrow registry. 

For both parts of my journey, 

the chemo and stem cell transplant, 

I couldn't have done 

it without them. They were a 

huge part of my journey. They 

literally saved my life. So, it’s 

very full circle, where I'm at 

right now.” 

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62 NZ BLOOD 

Donating just got 

easier with NZ Blood 

The new NZ Blood Service building on 

the corner of Anglesea and London 

Streets in the heart of the Hamilton 

CBD is opening up more opportunities 

for people to donate blood. 

With 30 underground 

carparks for donors, 

extended hours and 

more donor stations, add to 

this a swanky new building and 

donating to this vital service 

just got a whole lot easier and 

more appealing. 

Donor relations co-ordinators 

Scott Pearce and Mikyla 

Winchcombe hope the new 

building’s facilities will remove 

some of the barriers that deter 

people from donating. 

“The whole process of giving 

blood takes half an hour 

from when you're registering 

till when you’re eating your 

chocolate biscuits. You add 

travel time into that and you 

can be away for over an hour, 

and for businesses that’s lost 

productivity,” Scott says. 

“We've got some really awesome 

businesses that understand 

the need and that the 

need is greater than the business’s 

need and they allow their 

staff to come out. 

“But by being in the CBD, 

and with our awesome parking, 

we are expecting a lot more 

people and businesses coming 

in at lunchtime or other times 

that suit them.” 

The move couldn’t have 

come at a better time for the 

Blood Service team having outgrown 

the old building at the 

Waikato Hospital site. 

Taking over the waiting area 

in the old building to accommodate 

more donors helped them 

add another three beds but, 

Scott says, in the new building 

they can accommodate 30 

donors at any given time. 

“We can't wait. The building 

is just as nice on the outside 

as it is on the inside. It’ll 

be great to be in a new environment 

but also to be closer to, 

hopefully, new donors. We’ve 

also got more space to cater 

for the ever-growing demand 

that we're experiencing at the 

moment,” Scott says. 

The NZ Blood Service had 

been based at the hospital for 

more than 30 years. 

Having started life under the 

auspices of the DHB, the service 

became an independent entity 

in 1988 and moved to the building 

on the corner of Ohaupo 

Road and Lorne Street in 1989. 

Scott says the move to the 

city was set in motion several 

years ago when the lease with 

the Waikato District Health 

Board came up for renewal. 

The old building will be 

demolished to make way for a 

new renal centre. 

The new donor centre, the 

largest in the region, has been 

conceived with the donor at 

its heart. 

Designed to be both sustainable 

and future-proof to help 

ensure NZBS is able to continue 

to meet ongoing increases in 

demand for blood and blood 

products, as well as support 

its commitments as a carbon 

reduce certified organisation. 

The demand for blood and 

blood products is continually 

increasing - plasma demand 

alone grows by 10 per cent 

every year. The new facility 

in Hamilton forms part of a 

nationwide, long-term strategic 

plan to increase donor 

beds and resources across the 

service's sites. 

Mikyla says donating 

plasma and whole blood are 

equally important. 

Plasma takes longer but can 

be donated more frequently, 

whereas whole blood donations, 

which is made up of red blood 

cells, white blood cells, platelets 

and plasma, can only occur up 

to four times a year. 

“Taking plasma is a longer 

process overall and we have special 

machines that basically take 

the plasma and give your red 

blood cells back. Because you get 

your red blood cells back you can 

do this every two weeks. When 

we take whole blood, you lose 

so much iron and your energy 

levels are lower you can only 

donate every three months.” 

Scott is a regular plasma 

donor and says while it takes 

a bit longer it doesn’t stop him 

from working. 

“It takes about another 15 to 

20 minutes and because there’s 

Wi-Fi I can even get some 

work done.” 

The plasma is sent to 

Australia and is turned into a 

variety of essential blood products 

that help cancer patients, 

trauma and burns victims, 

pregnant women and those 

with auto-immune diseases, 

blood-clotting issues and compromised 

immune systems. 

Just as important are donations 

from people regardless 

of how common, or rare their 

blood type is, Mikyla says. 

“People think because they 

have a common blood type, they 

won’t need to give blood but 

because it’s common we need it 

even more.” 

NZ Blood figures show that 

in New Zealand the two most 

common blood types are O-positive 

(38%) and A-positive 

(32%), while the rarest types are 

AB-positive (3%), B-negative 

(2%) and AB-negative (1%). 

The need for blood and 

plasma is constant, and it’s Scott 

and Mikyla’s jobs to recruit the 

blood donors who save lives by 

keeping the flow of blood and 

plasma going. 

As well as looking forward 

to moving to the new purpose-built 

building, the pair 

hope the new premises, with 

its accessibility with both parking 

and to public transport, will 

entice more people to donate. 

And being in the CBD, Scott 

says, will have benefits for the 

surrounding businesses. 

“We'll have donors coming 

into the CBD who will visit 

some of the local cafes and 

restaurants, and they will ultimately 

benefit from us being 

here. It's going to be a great 

opportunity for everyone concerned 

in terms of bringing 

more people into the CBD, 

which is looking amazing now.” 

Visit www.nzblood.co.nz/ 

booking/ to book a time to 

donate or take the eligibility 

quiz www.nzblood.co.nz/ 

become-a-donor/am-i-eligible/ 

eligibility-quiz/ 

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Proof is in 

the planning 

for a Naylor 

Love project 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, JULY/AUGUST 2023 NZ BLOOD 63 

While the NZ Blood Service building 

was an 18-month project, there was a 

lot of strategic planning that went on 

long before it even got off the ground. 

In the competent hands of 

the Naylor Love team, this 

project required some innovative 

thinking to overcome 

many obstacles on its journey to 

completion. 

Overcoming construction 

challenges is something the 

team thrives on and, as Naylor 

Love operations manager 

Dean McGahey, the key to a 

smooth-running and successful 

project is in the planning. 

Working on a confined 

site meant the team had to be 

logistically canny in how they 

approached the project. 

“Often with our sites, you 

have the luxury of a little bit of 

a lay down area (for materials). 

But because this building was 

built right to the boundaries 

on all four sides, it was actually 

quite a challenge logistically. 

The only place we could put 

materials was within the building 

footprint.” 

This required meticulous 

planning and scheduling to 

minimise double handling and 

avoid any delivery vehicle congestion 

on the busy city street 

surrounding the site. 

Being in the CBD presented 

its own challenges, Dean says, 

“working within the conditions 

of the resource consent and district 

plan required us to be being 

overtly aware of our impact in 

the city.” 

“There are apartments in 

close proximity and we were 

very respectful of the surrounding 

residents and businesses, 

and the impact that our construction 

activities would have 

on their living and business 

operations. We had to work 

pretty closely with council and 

the utilities companies just to 

make sure that we were managing 

the street and the busy intersection 

at all times, and keeping 

utilities live to the surrounding 

neighbourhood.” 

Minimising those 

disruptions comes back to the 

planning that the Naylor Love 

team do so well. 

“There were minimal road 

closures and that takes a lot of 

planning involving numerous 

contractors working with Naylor 

Love to develop methodology 

and plan sequencing to 

make sure we absolutely reduce 

the inconvenience to traffic and 

pedestrian flows.” 

And, of course, in any construction 

project, no matter the 

size, there’s going to be some 

unexcepted challenges, and not 

letting these challenges cause 

too many disruptions is proof of 

the expertise and innovation of 

the team. 

One of the early challenges 

was supply chain delays post- 

COVID, especially materials 

and shipping disruptions. 

“In a number of instances, 

we had to change our methodology 

and construction 

sequence to minimise the 

impact of those delays. And 

whilst that caused a few headaches 

initially, it worked 

out quite well in the end,” 

he says. 

“Because the site was built 

to the boundary on four sides, 

we had to excavate the basement 

right to the boundary. We 

had always anticipated having a 

ramp down to the basement and 

building our way out of the site. 

However, when a delay with 

the structural steel impacted 

our programme, we changed 

our methodology which meant 

we finished the retaining piling 

and the basement slab cutting 

off our site access. To overcome 

this challenge, we craned a 

50-tonne crane from the street 

down into the basement to complete 

the steel erection.” 

It’s a risky activity lifting 

and lowering a 50-tonne crane 

into a confined site in a busy, 

built-up area, Dean says 

“We put a lot of effort into 

planning the lift; first and foremost, 

to make sure that the 

activity was carried out safely, 

out of hours so as not to disrupt 

traffic too much. The planning 

paid off in the long run because 

the activity went very smoothly 

and we only shut down the road 

for a few hours.” 

Naylor Love is thinking 

‘green’ when it comes to construction 

and right from the 

get-go the team had plans in 

place to lessen the build’s environmental 

impact. 

A collaboration with a civil 

contractor meant almost all of 

the excavated spoil has been 

re-purposed at sites around 

the Waikato region, Naylor 

Love quantity surveyor Brad 

Meads says. 

“All of the excavated material 

was able to be reused, 

including 2000 cubic metres 

stored for future projects, 

diverting around 5,000 cubic 

metres away from landfill.” 

And caring about their environmental 

footprint doesn’t 

stop with the dirt. 

Naylor Love have changed 

many of their practices to make 

construction more sustainable, 

Dean says. 

“We're driving this right 

through the business and right 

through the industry. It's about 

changing behaviours and challenging 

the industry and our 

partners to do better. Simple 

things like delivering products 

in reusable bags rather than 

pallets wrapped in plastic. Partnering 

with innovative companies 

has seen all the soft plastics 

from our sites getting collected 

and bought back to our yard. 

We've got a reciprocal agreement 

with Hamilton company 

saveBOARD and they recycle 

all our soft plastics and turn it 

into board. We then buy that 

board off them and use it on our 

sites. We have also connected 

with commercial worm farms to 

take all our food waste from our 

offices and sites which would 

have typically gone to landfill.” 

And there’s more; timber, 

plasterboard offcuts, polystyrene, 

metal and aluminium all 

get recycled or repurposed, and 

the team are working with a 

number of community organisations 

where donated excess 

building materials are used by 

these organisations for community 

initiatives and projects. 

Kiwi owned and operated 

since 1910, it’s important to 

the Naylor Love team that 

they use local contractors on 

local projects. 

“Where possible we try and 

support local businesses. That's 

important to us and it's important 

to Stark Property that we're 

using local suppliers and contractors,” 

Dean says. 

The Naylor Love team are 

proud of the build and working 

on a project like the NZ Blood 

Service Donor Centre that plays 

such an important role in keeping 

Kiwis alive makes it even 

more rewarding. 

“It's certainly feels good to 

be doing community projects 

that are going to be beneficial to 

the community. It not only gives 

us pride in the work we're doing 

but it’s satisfying knowing it's 

got a real purpose,” Dean says. 

Proud to work with 

Naylor Love on the 

NZ Blood project. 

wightaluminium.co.nz

“Fosters are one of 

the best contractors 

we’ve worked with, 

so they were our 

first pick.” 

Left to right: Tom Schuyt, Greengrower & Simon Travaglia, Waikato Innovation Park 

Simon Travaglia, Waikato Innovation Park 

Infrastructure Manager 

Waikato Innovation Park’s 17-hectare Ruakura business campus in 

Hamilton is now home to Aotearoa’s first large-scale vertical farm. 

Operated by New Zealand horticulture company Greengrower, the 

5,900m² facility grows leafy green plants in stacked layers from 

seed right through to harvest. Fully automated, it uses cutting-edge 

technology to create ideal growing conditions, tailoring the delivery of 

light and food to optimise taste and nutrition. It uses 95 per cent less 

water than conventional horticulture and significantly less electricity 

than conventional greenhouses. 

Greengrower CEO Tom Schuyt pitched the farm’s concept in 2020 to 

the Waikato Innovation Park team, who didn’t hesitate in engaging 

Fosters to build the custom designed facility. 

“We’d worked with Fosters before on a three-storey commercial 

building on our campus, and they did a great job for us,” the park’s 

infrastructure manager Simon Travaglia said. 

“They’re one of the best contractors we’ve worked with, so they were 

our first pick.” 

Hamilton engineering and architecture firm Stiles and Hooker designed 

the warehouse, which incorporates mezzanine growing and robotic 

harvesting areas, controlled humidity rooms and extensive 

in-ground water services. 

“Fosters fed back into the design in terms of how to 

make things work better,” Simon said. 

“We had a few challenges in the way – a few changes in design 

to incorporate – and they managed that process very well. They 

kept us informed, tried to minimise the impact of any variations 

and gave us options.” 

He applauded Fosters’ open and honest communication and 

“exceptional” project management, which resulted in an “extremely 

low impact” on the busy campus. 

“They understood what we wanted from the project,” he said. 

The build was delivered on time and on budget. 

Simon said he would “absolutely” work with Fosters again. “That’s a 

no brainer, they went above and beyond for us. They really looked after 

us on this project. And we’re very grateful to them for that,” he said. 

“If I could sum Fosters up with one word it would be integrity.” 

Got a build project in mind? 

Get in touch with Fosters today! 

FOSTERS.CO.NZ 

07 849 3849

Waikato Business News July/August 2023

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