Waikato Business News | January 12, 2024

JANUARY 2024 

Welcome home 

The first affordable housing 

neighbourhood has opened near 

Cambridge and it’s a game changer 

according to its developers. Senior writer 

Mary Anne Gill was there and talked to 

residents. 

Life changing. That’s 

how Yan Zhung 

described moving into 

her own house in Peake 

Mews west of Cambridge 

with husband Jiong Xu and 

their family. 

A series of rental 

properties marked their new 

life in New Zealand since 

they arrived from China a 

decade ago but now they 

and seven other families 

have the keys to properties 

in a complex developed by 

the Brian Perry Charitable 

Trust. 

They were guests of 

honour at the opening last 

month of the first affordable 

housing neighbourhood in 

the Waikato. 

Another – Hinemoa, 

an apartment style 

development – will open in 

central Hamilton later this 

year. 

Bridge Housing is an 

initiative started by the 

Brian Perry Charitable Trust 

which donated $4 million 

worth of affordable housing 

in Cambridge and a similar 

amount in Hamilton. 

Chair Simon Perry told 

Waikato Business News the 

affordable housing initiative 

was a “game changer” and 

ensured families had access 

to healthy and affordable 

housing. 

“This is all about a liveable, 

affordable and sustainable 

community,” said Perry. 

“Now that we have our 

first runs on the board and 

have demonstrated what 

can be delivered through 

meaningful partnerships, we 

are even more determined to 

expand this initiative across 

the region.” 

There will be 60-70 

houses at the Peake Road 

site developed over four 

to five phases. Cambridge 

architect Antanas Procuta 

developed the master plan 

for the development creating 

community spaces to get the 

right density. 

“Our goal is all about 

making these smart, making 

them nice, but making them 

smaller, not having the 

garages and some of those 

expensive kit pieces to them 

and being smart about the 

“ 

This is all about a liveable, 

affordable and sustainable 

community 

Home, sweet home: from left Jiong Xu, Jonathan and Hayley Buckley, Glen Lewis, Yan Zhung, Cynthia Watson, Audrey and Pierre 

Scheepers, Faye, Lyra, 5, and Brendan Walpole. 

Photo: Mary Anne Gill. 

developments.” 

The secret to the 

affordable housing model – 

or Secure Homes as Bridge 

Housing has termed it – is 

the mixture of leasehold and 

freehold land. 

Buyers can opt to lease 

the land and own the house, 

reducing the cost by as 

much as half. The model is 

supported by the Ministry 

of Housing and Urban 

Development’s Progressive 

Home Ownership fund, 

which provided a significant 

interest-free loan to Bridge 

Housing. 

Secure Homes is 

underpinned by backing 

from Westpac NZ, the 

official lender to the houses. 

The model is similar to one 

created by the Queenstown 

Lakes Community Housing 

Trust. Trustee Peter 

Southwick, also a trustee 

in Bridge Housing, said he 

had been involved with both 

from the beginning. 

The Waikato initiative 

happened because of the 

Perry family trust. 

“They’re a very modest 

bunch but without them and 

the charitable trust, none of 

this would have happened,” 

he said. 

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2 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 


Editor 

Roy Pilott 

027 450 0115 

News 

Mary Anne Gill 

021 705 213 

Viv Posselt 

027 233 7686 

Jeremy Smith 

022 317 9499 

CONTACTS 

editor@goodlocal.nz 

maryanne@goodlocal.nz 

viv@goodlocal.nz 

jeremy@goodlocal.nz 

Advertising Director 

Janine Davy janine@goodlocal.nz 

027 287 0005 

Owner 

David Mackenzie 

david@goodlocal.nz 

Office 

07 827 0005 admin@goodlocal.nz 

Website 

wbn.co.nz 

Readers’ contributions of articles and letters are 

welcome. Publication of contributions are entirely at 

the discretion of editorial staff and may be edited. 

Contributions will only be considered for publication 

when accompanied by the author’s full name, 

residential address, and telephone number. Opinions 

expressed are not necessarily those of the publishers. 

Waikato Business News is published by Good Local 

Media Limited. 

Also publishers of 

Runga, Mockers booked in 

New Zealand music icon Bic Runga, 

Prima Facie, The Mockers, Jazmine Mary, 

Ridiculusmus Theatre, NZ Opera and Tom 

Sainsbury are just a few of the big name 

artists and shows featured in the Hamilton 

Arts Festival next month. 

More than 1200 artists involved in music, 

theatre, dance, comedy and musical theatre 

are represented across 46 ticketed events 

from February 23 to March 3. 

Runga will headline the event, performing 

on the Rhododendron Lawn accompanied 

by a live band. The singer-songwriter, who 

has been inducted into the New Zealand 

Music Hall of Fame, will be 48 by then. 

She is best known for seven times platinum 

Hamilton Arts Festival headline act Bic Runga. 

 

Photo: Tom Grut. 

album Drive, released in 1997 and spawning 

top-selling songs such as Sway. She followed 

that with Beautiful Collision which went 

11-times platinum and produced Get Some 

Sleep, Something Good and Listening for 

the Weather. 

She will be supported by Mount 

Maunganui’s Georgia Lines, who won 

breakthrough artist at the New Zealand 

Music Awards last year and was nominated 

for Best Pop Artist alongside Lorde and 

Benee. 

Eighties new-wave rockers The Mockers 

supported by Rikki Morris will celebrate 40 

years at the festival since the release of their 

massive hit Forever Tuesday Morning. 

There is a return for the Sunset Symphony 

which will take place on the first Saturday 

with orchestral music provided by the Trust 

Waikato Symphony Orchestra. 

The Hamilton Arts Festival is regarded 

as the largest regional arts festival in New 

Zealand with its unique point of difference 

being the Hamilton Gardens. 

Welcome home CONTINUED 

“This will enable a lot of affordable 

housing in the Waikato. 

“To those who had had the guts to buy a 

place here, especially those who have taken 

on the leasehold model, it’s a bit scary I 

know but it’s a proven formula and we know 

it works,” said Southwick. 

“We’re very proud of what we’ve done 

here. To see eight families shift in, it really 

means something and I feel very privileged 

to be part of it.” 

“Peake Mews is an example of what’s 

possible when affordability, security and 

community converge. We don’t want to 

lose momentum and are keen to speak with 

anyone who has an interest in being part 

of the solution to this enormous problem,” 

Perry told The News. 

• More photos page 15. 

Support act Georgia Lines. 

Photo: Supplied. 

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 

Simon Perry chair of the Brian Perry Charitable 

Trust with Peake Mews neighbour Pete Moore. 

This newspaper is subject to NZ Media 

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Please include copies of the article and all 

correspondence with the publication. 

Hamilton City Council’s Blair Bowcott, left, with Bridge Housing trustee Leonard Gardner of Foster 

Construction and Cambridge architect Antanas Procuta. 

Tim van de Molen 

Your MP for Waikato 

Backing Waikato Businesses 

Tim.vandeMolenMP@parliament.govt.nz 

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Briefs… 

Good warning 

A recent warning to local 

authorities by the Auditor 

General about the double 

digit rate increases proposed 

– in Hamilton 25.5 per 

cent and Waipā 14.8 per 

cent – could be an issue of 

governance, says Waikato 

Chamber of Commerce chief 

executive Don Good in his 

recent mail out to members. 

Pet projects will need to 

be dumped or put on the 

bonfire in favour of core 

functions, he says. 

New dealership 

Hamilton-founded Ebbett 

Group has this month 

opened a new Great Wall 

Motors pop-up dealership in 

Pukekohe. Ebbett Group – 

now based in Te Rapa - was 

founded in Hamilton’s Hood 

St in 1928 by Alf Ebbett, 

later joined by his brother 

Ron. The group represents 

25 car brands at dealerships 

nationwide. 

Fixing up 

Earthquake strengthening 

is underway at the former 

Duke St Cambridge home 

of Inspired by 2 Florist to 

make way for a new tenant. 

Among those completing the 

work earlier this week were 

Titan Construction’s Potiki 

Tupaea, left, and managing 

director Logan Den Hertog. 

Papal knight 

Prominent Waikato 

businessman Paul Barnett 

will be conferred with 

the Papal Order of Saint 

Sylvester - one of five Papal 

knighthoods - at the Catholic 

Cathedral of the Blessed 

Virgin Mary in Hamilton on 

January 16. It is typically 

awarded to recognise and 

reward members of the 

laity for active service in the 

church.. 

George Bettle’s farewell 

The commercial chapter of 

George Bettle’s career was over 

the day he shaved off his beard. 

The founding guru of Hamilton 

advertising agency Bettle and 

Associates had his bushy grey beard 

and blue glasses on in the morning of 

Friday December 1 but then turned 

up for his retirement event later that 

night without them both. 

The 52-year-old chuckles at the 

reaction while sitting in his 15th floor 

Wellington apartment, where he and 

wife Emma now live, having sold 

their Maungakawa property near 

Cambridge a couple of years ago. 

“We’ve got a view right down the 

barrel of the harbour,” he says as he 

turns to look at it and then comments 

on the Dick Frizzell print of the Four 

Square man on the wall which hung 

in Bettle’s office for years. 

Bettle is now non-executive chair of 

Bettle and Associates, the advertising 

agency he founded in 2002. 

Then he had been working for 

Walker Advertising in Auckland and 

was headhunted to work with former 

Hamilton mayor Michael Redman 

at Grey Advertising heading the 

fledgling digital division. 

Grey had branches in Auckland, 

Wellington and Hamilton and Bettle 

was seconded to Hamilton to work on 

the Economic Development Forum’s 

strategy on how to attract businesses 

to the Waikato. 

“I came down to give them a hand 

and started to believe my own copy 

and thought ‘this is a pretty good 

little economy’.” 

When Redman left the agency 

so too did many of his Hamilton 

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 3 

Taking it on the chin 

clients, so Bettle’s options were to 

either move with the multinational to 

Sydney or Singapore. 

Then when Grey decided to shut 

the doors in Hamilton, Bettle offered 

to buy the agency agreeing a delayed 

deal on April 1, 2001. 

“I said to them ‘You send me down 

for six months as general manager 

of Hamilton, if I like what I see I 

agree to pay the price we just agreed, 

not whatever I turn it into in the six 

months, I’m there, you don’t get a 

double hit’. It was an awesome deal 

for me.” 

Bettle turned the agency around 

and 10 years later he went “mental” 

trying to take on the world, setting up 

an office in Australia. 

“It wasn’t very much fun, and it 

wasn’t very profitable.” 

Bettle found himself managing 

people instead of writing strategy, 

which is what he loved. 

“We got quite big. We had big 

national clients, but the agency 

model is when you lose one, you lose 

a lot of people. And I didn’t like that 

boom and bust.” 

Flying under the radar was Bettle’s 

community and philanthropic 

partnerships from K’aute Pasifika to 

Hospice Waikato but in his private 

life, he was often an anonymous 

donor. 

He put in a succession plan in 

place appointing Will Peart, who had 

worked for Bettle as account director 

on the Ihug account but then gone to 

Australia to work at agencies. 

Adam Lurman, who Bettle 

employed years earlier on a 

scholarship straight out of Wintec’s 

Succession planning: George Bettle, now chair of Bettle and Associates, with from 

left, managing director Will Peart and creative director Adam Lurman. 

 


View from the top: George Bettle in the office of his Wellington apartment. 


third year and who then left to go 

to Tauranga, came back as creative 

director. 

Both returned as Bettle had moved 

into the Riverbank Lane offices in 

Hamilton the agency still works out 

of today where it employs 17 people 

and maintains a healthy client base. 

“Probably one of the most 

rewarding things is actually having 

young guys with lots of talent go 

away and see the world and then 

come back.” 

In 2020, as part of an exit strategy, 

Bettle sold them a shareholding 

in the business and told them he 

wanted to ease out within five years. 

“I said ‘Let’s make it not about me, 

let’s make it about Will and Adam’. I 

was quite happy in the background 

and there was an ownership model 

going through that didn’t rely on 

me.” 

One of Bettle’s clients was Swedish 

farm machinery and equipment 

company DeLaval. The Hamilton 

company had been DeLaval’s global 

agency for nearly a decade and he 

had the opportunity to redo its 10 

year strategy. 

“It was a fantastic opportunity and 

an awesome project. I wanted to get 

that done, get it implemented, lock it 

away. It was really rewarding, really 

challenging. It felt very much like a 

full stop. That’s about as good as it 

gets. I don’t think I could surpass 

that.” 

By Mary Anne Gill 

Bettle finished that work on 

November 1 and left the agency a 

month later where he turned up to 

his farewell dinner beardless. 

“I thought I better mark this and 

so I shaved it off for the first time in 

10 years. It was terrifying, my dad 

started appearing in the mirror.” 

Reaction from his family 

was mixed. Wife Emily, who is 

the co-founder of School Kit, a 

Hamilton-based education company 

that offers resource kits and learning 

experiences to teachers, had lobbied 

hard for him to keep it. 

Daughters Maggie, 25, and Sam, 

22, were on opposite sides. 

In Wellington, Bettle takes turns 

picking up his six-year-old nephew 

from school and a friend’s child from 

daycare, getting out on his e-bike – 

cycling is so easy in the capital, he 

says - and swimming in the harbour 

where he recently got out as far as the 

Baring Head lighthouse. 

“It will be just a gross admission 

and a lack of imagination from me if 

I can’t find something to do. 

“I’m sure I will be full of plans and 

things, but I just want to give myself 

a little time to chill out. 

“I think genuinely the commercial 

chapter of my life is over. I’ve proved 

to myself I can do it, I can front 

globally with the best of them. It’s a 

challenge I feel I’ve met, and I don’t 

feel I need to do it again.” 

Time will tell. 

Procuta Associates 

Urban + Architecture 

07 839 6521 

www.pauaarchitects.co.nz 

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Straight teeth – and good luck 

Viv Posselt was in Cambridge last month when entrepreneur 

Diane Foreman told her story. 

Diane Foreman’s start in life was less 

than auspicious. 

She was the unwanted child of a 

teenaged mother who rejected her not once, 

but twice. She was told all young women 

needed was straight teeth and an ability to 

type, and by her late teens, was herself an 

impoverished single mum. 

With such odds stacked against her, there 

was little to suggest she would become one 

of New Zealand’s most successful business 

leaders. Diane was, however, a determined 

young woman with a thirst for knowledge 

… one who with gritty self-discipline and a 

fair dollop of good luck went on to lead an 

extraordinary life. 

She told her story to the final Cambridge 

U3A gathering for 2023. 

Now in her early 60s and married to 

broadcaster Paul Henry, she remains wedded 

to the entrepreneurial world. She has run 

businesses across multiple sectors, is involved 

in recruitment and runs a large residential and 

commercial real estate portfolio. She serves 

on private company boards, dividing her time 

between New Zealand and London where she 

consults to international businesses; has built 

and on-sold successful ventures, run massive 

teams and amassed significant wealth of her 

own. 

In 2009, she was named New Zealand’s 

Entrepreneur of the Year and has since become 

a judge based in Monte Carlo for the World 

Entrepreneur of the Year. She has taken titles 

that include the New Zealand Manufacturer of 

the Year, and New Zealand Franchisor of the 

Year. 

How she got from then to now smacks of 

feisty ambition meeting with good tutelage. 

Diane was adopted into a working-class 

family who placed little value in books. 

“I was told that education for girls 

was unnecessary and all you needed 

was straight teeth and an ability to 

type,” she said. 

Against her will, she left school 

at 15 then worked as a shorthand 

typist and developed her other 

‘must have’, a good telephone voice. 

By age 18, the first of three seismic 

events occurred – she upgraded to 

a job as secretary to the secretary 

of New Zealand businessman, Sir 

Robert Kerridge. It was a lowly role, but 

as she attended board meetings and 

typed up minutes, she absorbed 

by osmosis the ideas of the 

top businessmen of the day. 

By her early 20s, Diane 

was mum to two children, 

one of them adopted, with 

no marriage. To make 

ends meet, she worked her 

day job, typed university 

students’ theses at 

weekends and rented out 

rooms in her home. 

“I know what poverty 

looks like, what it's like to 

not have enough to pay 

the power bill. I shared 

baths with the children, 

turned lights off three 

days a week. We were dirt 

poor.” 

She and an equally poor 

friend purchased a purple 

skirt and black blouse that 

became a shared ensemble 

for important outings like 

dates or interviews. 

New Zealand entrepreneur Diane Foreman, left, was introduced at the Cambridge U3A meeting by her 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 former step mother-in-law, Yvonne Foreman. Photo: Viv Posselt 

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027 408 9339 

jan.cooney@bayleys.co.nz 

David Cashmore 

Director, Bayleys Commercial - Waikato 

021 943 305 

david.cashmore@bayleys.co.nz 

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Senior Facilities Manager - 

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027 230 2514 

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ADVERTORIAL 

The Waikato is the best 

place to live work 

and play in 2024 

Winning with 

cast offs By Mary Anne Gill 

The new year is here and with 

it comes a huge amount of 

opportunity. 

Business confidence is on 

the rise and the Te Waka report simply 

confirms what we have been seeing and 

hearing since September. The election 

has come and gone. 

The Waikato turned blue with Cabinet 

Ministers in Louise Upston and Tama 

Potaka picking up very hefty roles, along 

with Andrew Bayly – a minister outside 

Cabinet in charge of commerce and 

SMEs. We wish them all well in grappling 

with everything 2024 throws at them 

and wish the opposition well in holding 

them to account with vigour. 

The New Zealand economy may have 

some distance to go to turnaround and 

deliver us a softish landing, but inflation 

will be a difficult genie to jam back in the 

bottle. Price increases continue within 

NZ despite inflation in some economies, 

especially the USA, declining. However 

black some may view the world, others 

see a decade of growth prospects 

that await businesses. Here in NZ the 

new government brings opportunity 

for the private sector. With a huge 

infrastructure deficit, the country’s 

borrowing capacity will require private 

capital to join public money to get the 

backlog built. Let’s get on with it. 

There are some big challenges in 

front of us. In health we need more 

doctors and nurses so a medical school 

at the University of Waikato is a no 

brainer. In education there is such a lot 

to do. Te Pukenga experiment is to be 

decentralised, our universities need to 

be properly funded as does our research 

sector, but the big job will be improving 

our primary and secondary students’ 

performance. We must get the basics 

right as the foundation for our children’s 

life after graduation. 

For too long we have heard slogans 

Don Good, CEO of Waikato 

Chamber of Commerce. 

and announcements but no action. 

Ministers that dither are likely to 

be demoted. The country wants 

performance, not promises. 

In the Waikato the foundations for 

strong economic growth are there. Our 

population is growing, and the median 

age is still young. Families are coming 

here attracted by the opportunities 

that abound. We are a growing 

manufacturing, tech and innovation hub 

that is seeing graduates staying, and 

new companies springing up. 

If you are looking for evidence, 

the list of finalists at the recent 

Waikato Chamber Business Awards 

provided it in truckloads. Firms that 

few of us had heard of have been just 

smashing it. Take a look at Invivo. Its 

performance has been outstanding but 

its partnerships with Graham Norton 

and Sarah Jessica Parker should inspire 

others to innovate in their marketing. 

The big land developments in the 

Waikato are continuing everywhere. 

Ruakura just gets bigger, the Airport 

land development continues as does the 

work around Peacockes and in the north 

of Hamilton we see Te Awa Lakes Te 

Awa Lakes - The Perry Group emerging. 

Cambridge is growing in all directions, 

as is Morrinsville, Te Kauwhata, Pokeno, 

and Ohinewai. 

Don’t tell everyone – just the right 

people – the Waikato is growing and is 

the best place to live, work and play over 

the next decade. 

Nicky Chilcott returns fillies Pam (Vincent’s Girl) left, and Spice (KD Creation) back to the paddocks 

after their workout and wash down. 

Photos: Mary Anne Gill. 

It’s 5.45am and the unmistakable smell 

of horse poo suggests White Star Stables 

is behind the hedge on Victoria Road in 

Cambridge. 

The instructions were clear, first stables 

past the electric fence and there, down the 

back, owner Nicky Chilcott is cleaning out 

one of the night stables. 

She has been awake nearly two hours 

already – catching up on paperwork in her 

Clare Street home before heading down the 

road for the daily work out. 

Chilcott, dubbed harness racing’s 

winningest woman, runs a multi-million 

dollar operation over the Cambridge 

Raceway fence and employs, at last count, 

about six staff “but we need more part 

timers if anyone wants to join a good, fun 

team!” 

In any other business, they would call her 

a chief executive. 

At 52 her body screams out for attention 

after years of accidents and falls. Her back 

is shot, and she says the first 30 minutes of 

each day are “not pretty.” 

Two days after our interview she was 

thrown out of the sulky at Alexandra Park 

by a bad-tempered horse named Milly. She 

landed heavily on that dodgy back – but was 

in the cart for the next race 30 minutes later. 

Chilcott was brought up in Morrinsville 

where her father Graham was a successful 

trainer. She did well at school and was 

accepted into medicine at Otago University, 

which she studied for two years before 

crossing over and doing physical education. 

In her last year of the degree, she collapsed 

on the netball court with a brain injury 

and spent months in hospital. She lost her 

memory and went through rehabilitation 

before returning home to teach at Hamilton 

Girls High School. 

“I’ve had my trials and 

tribulations through 

the years 

In 1993, she had her first win as a driver at 

Alexandra Park in Auckland, guiding home 

Local Choice, trained by her father. 

Four years later, she took over the 

stables and in November 1997, she had 

her first training success with Waharoa at 

Cambridge. 

Thirty years on from that first win Chilcott 

- the first woman and only the 15th ever to 

train and drive 500 winners - still works 

seven days a week running her own business. 

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE 

Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent 

Senior writer Mary Anne Gill at Cambridge Raceway with Nicky Chilcott and Bella (Ocean Belle).


CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 

In the space of two hours, she rattles off the 

price of straps, feed, hay and medications; 

she pays all the bills herself. 

“$65 for that, can you believe it,” she says 

pointing to a velcro leg strap she is about to 

put on a horse’s lower leg. 

Chilcott reached both 500 milestones 

in Auckland - the driving one behind 

Windinherhair in 2012 and the training one 

last year with Phoebe Majestic, which she 

also drove. 

Her career stake earnings, at the end of last 

year, as a trainer were $4.363 million; as a 

driver $5.155 million. 

She tends to get cast offs and average 

horses to her stables, and she is renowned at 

getting the best out of them for the owners 

who will not hear a bad word said about her. 

A contact in the South Island often finds 

under-performing horses for her; some of 

which come north for a spot of Chilcott’s 

innovative training. 

Her sole group one winner was Disprove, 

driven by David Butcher, in the 2001 Easter 

Cup at Addington. 

“I got a phone call out of the blue from a 

guy in the South Island who said his horse 

had been naughty and he thought he might 

try a female trainer. 

“I took him to the beach, he fitted into 

our routine.” But Disprove was a handful so 

Butcher drove him and “did a great job,” says 

Chilcott. 

A driver gets $100 for each drive. Then if 

they secure a win or a place, it’s five per cent 

of the winnings and another 10 per cent for 

the trainer. The owner gets the rest. 

Chilcott doesn’t go hunting drives now, 

she only drives those she trains. She also has 

stable foreman and junior driver Leah Hibell 

who has had success on Chilcott-trained 

horses, including her first on Del Shannon in 

October last year. 

“I’ve had my trials and tribulations through 

the years,” Chilcott tells The News as she 

drives three horses back from their work out. 

The worst came 10 years ago when she was 

depicted as a drugs cheat for importing a 

prohibited substance. 


It was a mistake – she was not importing 

the agricultural compound to cheat, just to 

save money. She was discharged without 

penalty and admits she lost some horses but 

found out who her real friends were. It is 

clear the experience still hurts though. 

Chilcott hoses down Spice (KD Creation). 

“My horses are spoilt; this is hot water. It’s 

like World War 3 here if the water runs out, 

they’re not happy.” 

Chilcott has never had children, the horses 

are her babies, and she frets about them. 

“Sometimes I go home and lie in bed at 

night wondering about them.” 

When we speak mid last month, she’d 

had a few sleepless nights about Milly 

(Sacred Mountain), then a five-year-old 

eight-time winner and former New Zealand 

record holder over 2200m for mares from a 

standing start. She came back from a spell, 

trained well, trialled “unreal” and then raced 

“terrible” at her first start back in November 

at Cambridge. 

Two nights later Milly – a starter in 

the Thames Members Handicap Trot at 

Alexandra Park - was again on her worst 

behaviour and copped a warning for her 

barrier manner when she stood on the mark 

as the barriers were released. 

The horse behind was unable to avoid her 

and both drivers were thrown from their 

sulkies. Chilcott was uninjured. 

“She’s got me a bit baffled to be honest.” 

And despite her bad behaviour, Chilcott 

did not give up on her attempts to solve the 

mystery of Milly. 

On Christmas Eve at Cambridge Raceway, 

Sacred Mountain took out the Cambridge 

Xmas Handicap Trot by one and a quarter 

lengths in the hands of driver Andre Poutama. 

And Chilcott had the best view finishing in 

fourth on KD Royalty. 

In the lead up to the race, Matamata 

vet Barbara Hunter recommended ulcer 

medication and the trotter was a different 

horse. 

Punters, keep your eye on Milly, because 

Chilcott does not give up on her horses. 

That’s why they call her harness racing’s 

winningest woman. 

Nicky Chilcott early in the morning at White Star Stables with three-year-old filly Spice (KD 

Creation). 

Nicky Chilcott washes down three-year-old Spice (KD Creation) after the filly’s workout. 

Elizabeth Hussain, Senior Associate 

ADVERTORIAL 

Grayson Clements Senior 

Associate helps clients solve 

complex legal challenges and 

protect their legacy 

With a career 

spanning two 

continents 

and a diverse range 

of legal disciplines, 

Grayson Clements Senior 

Associate Elizabeth 

Hussain is known for 

her ability to navigate 

complex legal issues 

and foster strong client 

relationships. 

Elizabeth began her 

legal career in London 

where she was a partner 

in a city law firm. In 

the United Kingdom, 

Elizabeth’s career was 

focused on large scale 

property development 

and transactions and 

acting for institutional 

developers and social 

landlords who replaced 

councils in providing 

affordable housing. 

“One property 

transaction I worked 

on in the UK was 

$156 million. I also 

worked advising on 

board governance and 

compliance, so I have that 

background too.” says 

Elizabeth. 

She immigrated to New 

Zealand with her family in 

2013, looking for a change 

of pace, and further 

requalified as a Barrister 

and Solicitor of the High 

Court of New Zealand in 

2019. 

At Grayson Clements she 

has quickly established 

herself as a trusted legal 

advisor with an innate 

ability to find practical 

solutions to complex 

legal issues ranging from 

commercial and property 

law to private wealth and 

family law. 

“I enjoy the problem 

solving involved in 

helping my clients. 

Understanding their 

immediate needs and 

long-term aspirations 

allows us to collaborate 

and deliver tailored and 

adaptable solutions,” says 

Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth began her 

New Zealand career in 

property law, dealing 

with conveyancing, 

wills, restructuring, and 

succession planning. 

She says she has really 

found her perfect 

fit advising Grayson 

Clements’ private clients 

on wealth management 

and succession planning 

and working closely 

with them to address 

issues related to trust 

structures, corporate 

entities, and familyowned 

businesses. 

“For many of these 

individuals, success 

has been the product 

of a lifetime of hard 

work, and it’s our duty 

to safeguard that for 

future generations,” says 

Elizabeth. 

She also handles 

complex family law cases, 

including relationship 

property division. 

“We have some amazing 

clients that have become 

friends to me. There is a 

line, however, when you 

represent someone over 

a long period of time you 

do become friends. It’s a 

consequence of the trust 

and confidence your 

clients place in you,” says 

Elizabeth. 

Elizabeth also enjoys 

long-standing business 

relationships with several 

Māori Incorporation and 

Trust Board clients who 

appreciate her measured 

approach when 

negotiating contracts and 

her unflinching resolve to 

secure the best possible 

outcomes. 

Many of Elizabeth’s 

clients have joined her 

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 28 staff across a range of practice areas. 

at Grayson Clements 

after personal 

recommendations from 

their peers. 

“My client following 

is principally word of 

mouth. I think my clients 

appreciate my ability 

to find a way through 

difficult situations and 

negotiate settlements 

that are always geared 

towards my clients’ 

outcomes,” says 

Elizabeth. 

Outside of her legal 

career, Elizabeth has a 

busy family life with her 

partner of 20 years and 

14-year-old daughter.



ADVERTORIAL 

Commercial Leases ? 

– Agreement to Lease or 

Deed of Lease 

University opens 

new business hub 

Commercial property lease 

transactions consist of 

formalising the relationship 

between Landlords and 

Tenants. Two key documents in this 

context are the Agreement to Lease 

and the Deed of Lease, with each 

serving a specific purpose. 

Agreement to Lease: 

The Agreement to Lease is typically 

the first document in the commercial 

leasing process, setting out the 

broad commercial terms of the 

lease – things like the length of the 

lease, commencement date, how 

much rental will be, the rent review 

provisions, along with any required 

works or conditions to be met. It is 

a legally binding document, albeit 

that it may be conditional for a period 

of time, providing an option to not 

proceed if the conditions are not 

met. This document is particularly 

useful when parties want to quickly 

establish the basic terms of the lease 

without delving into the extensive 

details typically found in a full lease 

agreement. 

There are also occasions where 

parties may instead agree to an 

alternative Heads of Terms type 

document, that highlight the general 

terms, but in many instances are nonbinding. 

Several Key Elements of an Agreement 

to Lease: 

Basic Terms: The Agreement to Lease 

covers fundamental aspects such as 

the names of the parties, the property 

details, the term of the lease, and rental 

amounts. 

Conditions: It may include 

conditions that need to be met or 

satisfied before the lease becomes 

binding. These conditions might involve 

obtaining necessary consents, permits, 

or completing certain works on the 

property. For example, a lease may not 

start until the Landlord has finished 

building the premises. In this case the 

Agreement to Lease will only state an 

estimated commencement date. The 

Deed of Lease will then record when 

the building was finished, and when the 

lease started. It is always good to know 

exactly when your lease commenced, 

so you know exactly when it will end. 

Negotiation Platform: The 

Agreement to Lease serves as a 

platform for negotiations through 

an offer and counter offering, where 

necessary. Once the parties agree on 

the essential terms and it becomes 

unconditional, they can proceed to 

finalize the more comprehensive Deed 

of Lease in due course. 

Deed of Lease: 

Once the parties have a fully 

executed Agreement to Lease, 

and all conditions have been 

satisfied, the next step is for 

the Tenant and the Landlord 

to enter into a formal 

Deed of Lease, which 

is usually prepared by 

the Landlord’s lawyer. 

The most common 

type being the ADLS 

(Auckland District Law Society) form, 

though some Tenants and Landlords 

may have their own bespoke versions 

or standard modifications. The latest 

version being the ADLS 6th Edition 

2012 (5) form, with each party normally 

paying their own legal costs associated 

with the negotiation and preparation of 

both the Agreement to Lease and Deed 

of Lease documents. 

Other Key Components of 

a Deed of Lease: 

Rights, Responsibilities and 

Obligations: 

Enumerates the rights and 

responsibilities of both the Landlord 

and the Tenant, including maintenance 

obligations, use of the property, 

reinstatement at the end of the lease 

and compliance with laws. 

Termination and Renewal: 

Provides details on circumstances 

under which the lease can be 

terminated, as well as any provisions 

for renewal or extension. 

Dispute Resolution: 

Includes provisions for resolving 

disputes that may arise during the 

lease term. 

Alterations and Improvements: 

Governs any alterations or 

improvements the Tenant may wish to 

make to the property. 

In summary, the Agreement to 

Lease and the Deed of Lease play 

distinct roles in the commercial 

leasing process. The former initiates 

negotiations and establishes initial 

terms, while the latter formalizes the 

agreement, providing a comprehensive 

legal framework for the Landlord- 

Tenant relationship. Both documents 

are integral to ensuring a clear and 

mutually beneficial commercial 

property transaction and relationship. 

As outlined above, when you sign an 

Agreement to Lease you are bound by 

the terms of a Deed of Lease as well, so 

it makes sense to know exactly what a 

Deed of Lease contains. 

Having a final Deed of Lease in 

place is important if you ever wished 

to assign the lease to another party. 

Clause 6.1 of a standard ADLS 

Agreement to Lease states that 

the Agreement to Lease cannot be 

assigned. 

Under REAA 2008 we (real estate 

agents) are required to recommend 

to all parties, before entering into a 

lease arrangement, that they should 

seek legal and other professional 

advice prior to signing any lease 

documentation. Engaging an 

experienced commercial lawyer 

for advice in these circumstances 

is very important, particularly for 

those who are new to leasing. 

Ready and waiting – inside the university’s new hub. 

A new business precinct and co-working 

space at the Hamilton campus is designed 

to strengthen ties between the business 

community and the University. 

Hiko hub will provide businesses with 

the flexibility of a co-working space and 

the benefits of the campus’ unique grounds 

and amenities. Businesses that join the 

hub will also have opportunities to connect 

with students through work experience 

opportunities, including work-integrated 

learning. 

Waikato University chief operating officer 

Jim Mercer, said the project was a positive 

step for the university and the Waikato 

business community. 

“This concept has been brewing for 

several years, driven by our commitment to 

work more closely with local industry and 

Straight teeth – and good luck 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 

When she became practice manager for 

an ear, nose and throat specialist, she was 

sure it was the best job of her life. “I learned 

how to run people and be a boss, and having 

to wear smocks meant I didn’t need a full 

working wardrobe.” 

She worked through lunch so she could 

pick the kids up after school and waitressed 

three nights a week. 

The next seismic event occurred when she 

met established businessman Bill Foreman 

and his then wife, Mary Pat. Bill was 

running Trigon, based out of Hamilton’s 

Foreman Rd. A nagging hearing problem 

brought him into the practice and the family 

soon bonded with Diane over their shared 

experience as adoptive parents. Bill regaled 

Diane telling her story to a packed U3A meeting. 

 

Photo: Bruce Hancock 

make smarter use of our space. Hiko hub 

addresses a genuine demand from small 

businesses in the region seeking a vibrant 

and contemporary workplace while being 

part of a larger ecosystem.” 

Tech company Resolution8 has signed 

on with the hub and will be moving into the 

space early this year. Director Peter Gilbert 

said the close ties to an organisation known 

for its strong tech credentials was a drawcard. 

“From establishing New Zealand’s first 

internet connection in 1989 to leading the 

way now with their Artificial Intelligence 

Institute, the University has long led the 

way in tech. Resolution8 prides itself 

on innovation, so it feels like a natural 

alignment,” he said. 

The hub gets its name from the Māori 

word for lightning or “to ignite”. 

her with business chat and gave her copies 

of National Business Review to read. 

Time passed and Diane, seeking more 

in life, left the practice and became a real 

estate agent. Later, when she dropped into 

her former boss to get property papers 

signed, she stumbled across Bill. Mary Pat 

had died a week earlier and conversation 

was awkward, but a month later, Bill invited 

Diane for tea. She was sure he would offer 

her a job as a secretary, or perhaps as nanny 

for his children. Several similar meetings 

followed until Diane asked when he was 

going to offer her the job…instead, he asked 

her to marry him. 

Mary Pat, concerned at leaving young 

children for Bill to raise alone, had 

prophetically reminded him of the sharp 

young woman at the ENT practice. Bill 

conducted his own appraisal, something 

Diane later learned was a key component to 

his business success, and the two married 

in 1988. 

She was instantly propelled into a different 

world. “It was the best decision I ever made 

… he changed my life,” Diane said. “First, I 

learned to be a corporate wife. We travelled 

the world and I’d sit in boardrooms and 

meet with his directors. Then the third 

big thing happened. Bill had a stroke and 

asked me to go onto the board at Trigon as 

a director… he wanted me to take it over.” 

Despite her terror, she deftly navigated the 

misogynism and mastered the challenges. 

When they sold Trigon in 1995, they pursued 

numerous other business interests that took 

them across the globe until Bill’s death in 

2017 marked the end of an era. 

“I learned so much from him,” she said. 

“He taught me that people are the biggest 

asset to any business… through him I 

learned how to select and hold on to the 

best people.” 

Diane continued to blaze her own path 

as a highly respected businesswoman. She 

reckons she was lucky to learn from the best, 

and in 2015 published her best-selling book 

on entrepreneurship, In the Arena.



BUSINESS SHOWCASE 

Company-X wins contract to build Flight Deck Officer 

training simulation for Royal New Zealand Navy 

Company-X, a leading 

provider of training 

simulation solutions, has 

been awarded a contract to 

build a Flight Deck Officer 

(FDO) training simulation 

for the Royal New Zealand 

Navy (RNZN). 

will use virtual 

reality headsets and 

artificial intelligence 

“Company-X 

(AI) technology in the 

simulation that will train flight deck 

officers already versed in theory on how 

to land helicopters on a frigate’s flight 

deck safely and efficiently. 

The simulation will feature a variety of 

real-world training scenarios in changing 

sea states. 

The simulation is expected to be 

delivered in mid-2024 and will be used to 

train officers for the RNZN’s Anzac-class 

frigates HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te 

Mana. 

Company-X expertise includes 

simulation, mixed reality, system 

emulation, and gamified training. 

“We are honoured to have been 

awarded the contract to build this new 

training simulation,” said Company-X 

Head of Simulation Lance Bauerfeind. 

“This is a testament to our expertise 

in developing and delivering cuttingedge 

training solutions. We know that 

A Flight Deck Officer (FDO) at work. Photo: NZDF 

this simulation will assist the Royal 

New Zealand Navy in providing the best 

possible training to their FDOs,” added 

Company-X co-founder David Hallett. 

Company-X has previously built 

training simulations for DeLaval, First 

Gas, Independent Verification Services 

and WorkSafe. 

Company-X’s reputation is built on 

creating systems that run the world 

better. 

Company-X is a leader in the 

defence, infrastructure, software as a 

service (SaaS) and technology sectors; 

innovating systems through software to 

tackle key challenges for businesses and 

government agencies. 

Company-X builds highly skilled, 

tightly knit, self-managing, and colocated 

teams. Its insourced teams 

stay with projects throughout the 

development lifecycle to efficiently 

address complex problems with speed 

and specialised expertise. 

Co-founded by directors David Hallett 

and Jeremy Hughes, Company-X is 

celebrating a decade of business in 2023. 

Lance Bauerfeind. 

Navigate the 

digital landscape 

with us



Migration statistics – 

what are they and what 

do they mean? 

There is much hype every month 

about New Zealand’s net migration 

numbers and what these mean for the 

country. 

In the year to October 2023 New 

Zealand recorded a net migration gain 

of 128,900 people. 

This figure is calculated from migrant 

arrivals of 245,600, less migrant 

departures of 116,700. For the 

purposes of these calculations a 

“migrant” is a person who states on 

their arrival or departure card that 

they intend to stay in, or leave, New 

Zealand for 12 months or more. 

This figure should not be confused 

with normal tourism for which there 

were 226,000 arrivals in the October 

month alone. 

Within the year to October some 

71,000 New Zealand citizens left long 

term, while 26,500 returned from an 

extended absence, meaning a net 

loss of 44,500 New Zealand citizens 

for the year (and a new record!). 

The non-NZ citizen migrant arrivals 

comprised 87,000 work visa holders, 

60,000 on visitor visas, 32,000 on 

student visas, and 30,000 on resident 

visas. 

These statistics can be further 

broken down – the work visa total 

also includes working holiday visa 

holders (which could make up one 

third or more of the total) and also 

the partners of work and student visa 

holders. 

It is difficult to reconcile the visitor visa 

number as visitor visas are normally 

only issued for 3 or 6 month stays, 

and the only explanation for this high 

number is these visas are for family 

members of work or student visa 

holders. 

The student visa total is mainly 

international students but will also 

include children of work and student 

visa holders. Most of the resident 

visa holders will be migrants who 

already live in New Zealand and are 

Advertorial 

returning from overseas holidays 

so their “impact” should be largely 

ignored. The main source countries 

of these arrivals were India (48,000), 

Philippines (35,000), China (27,000), 

Fiji (10,000), South Africa (9,000), 

Australia (7,000) and the UK, USA and 

Sri Lanka (all at around 6,000). 

The new Government has raised 

concerns at the current high level of 

net migration and indicated it would 

like to see migration more directly 

linked to the filling of skills shortages. 

The fact that 60% of AEWV approvals 

are for the lowest skilled roles may 

also be a concern. 

We are seeing the face of many 

workplaces change forever due to 

the recent surge in international 

migration - take for example the 

health and aged care sectors, and 

even within the corrections workforce. 

However, this surge is not unique to 

New Zealand with Australia having 

experienced a net annual migration 

gain of 500,000 people. 

The challenge, we believe, is for the 

Government to attract and retain the 

migrants that the country most desires 

for the medium to long term, and to 

be forward thinking and transparent in 

such policy planning. 

Implementing policies “on-the-fly” in 

reaction to existing demands should 

only be considered sparingly and 

not as the norm, which has been 

increasingly the case over recent 

years. 

It is important that migrants are 

not “encouraged” to come to 

New Zealand with unrealistic and 

unachievable expectations as this 

can only lead to disappointment, and 

even more migrants being open to 

exploitation. The current high levels of 

net migration will, unfortunately, only 

lead to such outcomes for many of the 

migrants who have arrived in the last 

year. Migration is not a topic within 

the Government’s 100 day plan – but 

it should be, based on the current 

migration statistics! 

TECH TALK 

The next frontier 

By DAMIAN BARTOLOMUCCI 

Growing up in the eighties 

and nineties, I was a silent 

Star Trek Next Generation 

Trekkie. 

I watched the show every 

day, played the video games, 

and dreamed of one day 

having a holodeck that could 

turn imagination into a virtual 

or augmented reality. In the 

nearly 30 years since the 

1994 series finale, we haven’t 

yet evolved to a headset/ 

device free augmented state 

of interaction but we’re 

getting pretty close and the 

healthcare, defence and 

manufacturing industries are 

already seeing the benefits. 

In 2021, the National 

Library of Medicine published 

the results on the first use 

of virtual reality (VR) for 

simulation in the paediatric 

cardiac intensive care unit. 

Simulation continues to be 

a key component of training 

in the paediatric space and 

the intention of this project 

was to build on the simulation 

training opportunities for 

medical staff through the 

use of VR. According to the 

findings of the study, two 

thirds of the doctors agreed 

or strongly agreed that the 

VR experience felt realistic, 

and all agreed that the clinical 

scenarios were realistic and 

representative of real-life 

situations and nearly all 

agreed it could be useful for 

education. 

The defence industry is 

experiencing similar benefits 

and the potential for AR/ 

VR technologies is immense; 

particularly as the cost of 

getting it wrong in defence 

mechanics is exorbitant and 

the cost of getting it wrong 

with people is priceless. 

Simulation in the defence 

industry can range from an 

interactive repair scenario in 

an engine room, to defusing 

landmines, to addressing the 

mechanical needs of a water 

filtration system, to driving 

simulations across varying 

terrain. 

Recently, the Royal New 

Zealand Navy contracted 

Company-X to build a 

flight deck officer training 

simulation. For its project, 

Company-X will use virtual 

reality headsets and AI to 

train flight deck officers how 

to land helicopters safely and 

efficiently on a frigate. 

With money, processes and 

people via health and safety 

at risk, in the manufacturing 

space, VR training is 

moving from “discretionary 

spend” to “core.” In North 

America, Virtual Reality 

simulations in the automobile 

manufacturing space is 

already an industry norm. 

Major auto manufacturers 

like Ford and Hyundai are 

using VR tools to design new 

YOUR BUSINESS 

How to expand 

internationally 

By JOSH MOORE 

Waikato has a long history 

of birthing innovative 

companies that take on the 

world. 

Whether it be a small 

ecommerce store selling 

its unique product around 

the world, or a large multinational 

corporate with its 

head office in Hamilton, 

selling internationally is 

great for our country and 

our region. Exports bring in 

export dollars, which we need 

to grow our economy and 

help our country thrive. 

If your company is already 

selling internationally and 

wants to grow further, 

or if you want start selling 

internationally for the first 

time, digital marketing is a 

very useful tool for expanding 

your international sales. 

One of our clients sells 

cranes and custom-made 

truck trailers into the 

Australian market. These are 

big expensive items, with 

some tough competition. We 

use Google Ads and Search 

Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

to get their products in 

front of potential Australian 

buyers. 

Often customers looking for 

those products will take a long 

time in the “consideration” 

phase before they are ready 

to make contact. Digital 

marketing can help there too. 

To grow awareness of their 

brand, we run remarketing 

campaigns. This means that 

people who have visited their 

website start to see ads for 

this company on YouTube 

and millions of other sites, 

like news sites, blog sites 

and social media. This builds 

stronger brand awareness 

and increases the perceived 

influence of the company. 

Users can think, “These guys 

are advertising everywhere!”, 

but the truth is, they are 

seeing the ads because they 

visited the website. 

In addition, to help the sales 

team become aware of leads 

earlier in the buying cycle, 

we created a downloadable 

information pack on their 

website. Website visitors 

who are not ready to 

make contact are often 

in information gathering 

mode, so downloading a 

detailed information pack 

can be attractive. Before 

downloading the user needs 

to enter their name and 

email. This gives the sales 

team insight into which 

companies are interested in 

their product, which they can 

turn into sales conversations. 

Alternatively, at the small 

vehicles and parts and 

Hyundai has integrated its 

capability into the into its 

design review systems to 

review all steps of the design 

and modelling process. 

Educational institutions 

are also contributing to this 

surge. 

In the Asia/Pacific region, 

excluding Japan, AR/VR 

spending is projected to 

skyrocket, with a compounded 

annual growth rate of 42.4 

per cent from 2021 to 2026, 

aiming to reach $16.6 billion 

by 2026. Notably, training 

has emerged as one of the top 

three investment priorities, 

highlighting its importance 

in the adoption of AR/VR 

technologies. 

As these technologies 

become more consumerfriendly 

and integrated into 

enterprise strategies, they 

are poised to redefine the 

landscape of training within 

the healthcare, defence, and 

manufacturing sectors and, 

with advanced and scalable 

VR development operations 

like Company-X, the South 

Pacific is primed to be a world 

leader in the space. 

• Damian Bartolomucci 

is sales and marketing 

manager at Company-X. 

end of the scale, innovative 

ecommerce products or 

software products can achieve 

worldwide reach with savvy 

digital marketing. 

If people are searching 

for what you offer, or are 

searching for competitor’s 

products, you can use Google 

Ads to insert your product 

into the conversation. 

If people aren’t searching 

online for what you offer, 

then social media ads or 

email outreach are a good 

way to get in front of potential 

buyers. 

For most companies a 

combination of advertising is 

best. We work with a small 

company in Hamilton that 

sells an innovative tennis 

product around the world. 

For their marketing we use 

a combination of Google 

Ads, SEO and Facebook/ 

Instagram ads. The return on 

investment can be measured 

for each channel, and together 

the campaigns enable them to 

sell products globally. 

If you’re wanting to grow 

international sales in 2024, 

explore how digital marketing 

can be part of your strategy. 

• Josh Moore is the Managing 

Director at digital marketing 

agency Duoplus.



ey Toyota whats u 

with your used car benefits? 

We've just upped everything to 5 years. 

TOYOTA CERTIFIED 

5 YEARS 

HYBRID BATTERY WARRANTY 

+ 

5 YEARS 

WARRANTY 

+ 

5 YEARS 

FREE WOF CHECKS 

+ 

5 YEARS 

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Toyota Certified 

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MORRINSVILLE 85 Avenue Road North Morrinsville, 07 889 7678 

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Warranty, AA Roadservice, WOF Checks and Hybrid Battery Warranty available on Toyota Certified hybrid vehicles imported by Toyota New Zealand that have been first registered overseas, 

excluding vehicles used for fare or reward, rental, and vehicles owned by businesses and travelling more than 40,000km per year. See Toyota.co.nz for terms, conditions and exclusions.

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 


Choosing the right facility for those important 

pre-school years 

FEATURE 

The importance of the first five 

years of a child’s life – and how 

those years are lived – has been 

the subject of in-depth research 

for years. 

Findings show that from birth to 

age five a child’s brain develops faster 

than at any other stage in life, and 

while genetics play a role, it appears 

that the quality of a child’s experiences 

during those first five years has a 

significant impact on shaping their brain 

development. 

Knowing that makes it especially 

important for parents to ensure that 

the pre-school childcare they access for 

their child is the very best it can be. 

According to the Ministry of 

Education website, New Zealand 

parents have a raft of options open 

to them. There are more than 5000 

childcare and pre-school facilities 

around the country, falling roughly into 

two main groups. 

One is teacher-led services where 

at least half the supervising adults 

must be qualified and governmentregistered 

ECE (Early Childhood 

Education) teachers. Facilities falling 

into this category include kindergartens, 

education and care services, some 

home-based services and Te Kura 

(Correspondence School playgroups). 

The second group is made up of 

parent-led services where parents or 

other caregivers educate and look after 

their children. These might include 

licensed playcentres or Kōhanga Reo 

(centres catering for children in a Māori 

cultural environment), as well as a range 

of other cultural playgroups which may 

or may not have to be governmentcertified. 

Because both options present 

different types of early learning 

services, hours of operation and prices, 

parents need to look closely into what 

will best suit their family. 

There are several important things to 

tick off when doing your research. First 

of all, identify your priorities as a family 

– is it a teaching-centred environment 

you are seeking or simply quality 

daycare for your child? 

Perhaps contact the Ministry of 

Education for a list of suitable centres in 

your area, and then visit a few that you 

think might be a good fit. Ideally, talk to 

other parents of youngsters attending 

an early education centre to get a feel 

for how satisfied they are. Once you 

have seen a facility you like, check out 

their adult-to-child ratio, find out about 

the qualifications of their staff, look into 

the hours they operate and how many 

children they have. 

Any good pre-school or kindergarten 

will welcome your questions … far from 

being intrusive, it tells them you are a 

caring parent who wants only the best 

for their child. 

Although there are no formal tests 

in New Zealand’s early childhood 

education system, a good facility will 

keep parents updated with the child’s 

progress through a whole range of 

initiatives that might include photos, 

learning books, artwork and the like. 

Most early learning facilities will 

also run parents’ events from time to 

time, working in unison with parents 

to ensure each child can develop its 

talents and interests in a safe and happy 

environment.



Former Fieldays 

chair honoured 

Providers 

merge 

When Peter and Robyn Carr moved to Cambridge it was a matter of convenience, he 

tells Waikato Business News editor Roy Pilott. 

Auckland’s loss was Waikato’s gain 

when in 2005 the lure of three married 

daughters in Wellington brought Peter 

and Robyn Carr south. 

Tired of the bustle in the City of Sails, 

they looked for a new home - and got 

as far as Cambridge. 

It was a town they knew one thing 

about – it was a regular rest point 

because it had an excellent Superloo. 

Fast forward to 2024 and Peter Carr 

is a life member of the Cambridge 

Chamber of Commerce, served as 

chair of New Zealand Fieldays Society 

from 2016 to 2019, received the 

Waipā Networks Award for services to 

business in 2013, served as president 

of the Retirement Villages Residents 

of New Zealand from 2020 to 2022 – 

and his views appear fortnightly in his 

“Age of Reason” Good Local column in 

the Cambridge News and Te Awamutu 

News. 

And, as of New Year’ Day, he is also a 

Queen’s Service Medal holder. 

“Extremely humbled” Carr said of 

receiving the award. 

“And you know there is almost always 

a partner who get rather left behind 

in all of this - and in my case I have 

enjoyed total support from Robyn.” 

When the couple decided it was time 

to downsize from their initial Cambridge 

home, “Robyn pointed out there was 

a new retirement village at the end of 

the street – there were 10 homes there, 

today there are 200”. 

Thirteen years ago this month they 

moved not to a smaller home in the 

suburbs, but to Lauriston Park – “and 

we’ve never regretted it”. 

It was there in 2019 that Peter Carr 

invited me to speak to the residents at 

Lauriston about what we were doing at 

the Cambridge News – and later I asked 

“can you write?” 

Enter The Age of Reason, a rightwing 

view of issues – although one 

which is influenced by having a 

vocal arch critic – one of those three 

daughters. 

That’s Peter Carr, Justice of the 

Peace, a past Lions District 

Governor, Rotarian, a member 

of the Royal New Zealand 

Yacht Squadron from 1981 

to 2007 who chaired the 

race committee and was 

course marshal during the 

2000 and 2003 America’s 

Cup, a life member of the 

Chartered Institute of 

Logistics and Transport 

– and now, QSM. 

• Honours acknowledging 

King Charles and using 

the KSO and KSM 

titles are expected 

to be announced 

as part of the King's 

Birthday Honours 

in June. 

Peter Carr pictured when he MCed a candidates’ meeting at 

Lauriston Rest Home in Cambridge. Photo: Mary Anne Gill. 

John Calland 

IT platform and managed 

service providers Cloudland 

and TMG have announced a 

merger. 

The brands will continue 

to operate under their 

established names, but the 

collaboration is designed 

to amplify services across 

New Zealand and Australia, 

especially in the healthcare 

and professional services 

sectors. 

Cloudland chief John 

Calland said clients 

would benefit from the 

complementary strengths of 

the two providers. 

“TMG’s impressive 

track record within the 

primary healthcare market 

complements our strengths, 

ensuring our clients benefit 

from an even wider spectrum 

of expertise." 

TMG chief Andre Ducrot 

saw the merger as a natural 

evolution for his company. 

“We have a lot of 

Andre Ducrot 

similarities, including our 

comparable size, strong 

local community roots, 

and shareholders with 

considerable experience 

working in the primary 

healthcare sector. The two 

companies will complement 

one another well, and our 

customers will benefit as a 

consequence.” 

The merger makes Ducrot 

and the existing Cloudland 

directors shareholders in the 

new entity, TMG Cloudland 

Group Limited. Oriens 

Capital, a Tauranga-based 

investment group, has also 

joined as a shareholder. 

Community Living Trust, 

a Waikato-based provider of 

disability support services 

and a Cloudland shareholder, 

will continue as a shareholder 

in the merged entity and 

the merged companies will 

retain their regional offices 

in Hamilton, Whangarei, and 

Christchurch. 

Get pitch side 

at the polo 

this summer! 

• Trans-Tasman Test & Finals Matches 

• Family Entertainment 

• Food Trucks & Bar 

2 & 4 February 2024 | Mystery Creek Polo Club 

Tickets on sale now festivalofpolo.co.nz



Director's Māori 

roles recognised 

Tania Te Rangingangana Simpson and Megan Balks have long-standing associations 

with the University of Waikato. The women were both honoured in the New Year’s 

Honours list and our staff reporters covered their backgrounds. 

Tania Te Rangingangana Simpson 

has been made an Officer of the 

New Zealand Order of Merit for her 

services to governance and Māori. 

Simpson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngā Puhi, 

Ngāi Tahu) is a professional director 

with more than 27 years’ experience in 

governance encompassing a range of iwi, 

not-for-profit, commercial and public 

sector positions. 

She was born in Ōtorohanga and lives 

in Matangi and is one of three from The 

News circulation area. The others are 

Cambridge’s Peter Carr and Puketōtara 

soil scientist Megan Balks. 

Throughout her career Simpson has 

focused on projects and roles aimed 

at improving outcomes for Māori, iwi 

development and recognising Māori 

values within business. 

She has specialised in roles focused 

on the environment, sustainability 

and climate change and has been 

recognised with a range of awards for her 

contributions to Māori business. 

She was recognised in 2020 Waikato 

University with a Distinguished Alumni 

Award. 

The award is given to a small 

number of alumni who have achieved 

significant success in their career and 

made outstanding contributions to their 

communities. 

Simpson arrived at the university with 

the intention of studying languages, 

however realised early on that Māori 

language and culture was the right 

pathway for her. 

She graduated in 1987 with a Bachelor 

of Arts degree. She joined the Housing 

Corporation the following year as Māori 

advisory officer in Hamilton and then as 

Te Kuiti office manager responsible for 

effective management of tenancy and 

lending portfolios in Ōtorohanga, Te 

Kuiti and Te Awamutu. 

Simpson is a director of Auckland 

International Airport, Meridian Energy 

and Tainui Group Holdings and has 

chaired the Sustainable Seas National 

Science Challenge since 2016. 

It has funded several innovation 

projects and development of a business 

model to allow for the creation of 

small whānau-owned aquaculture 

farms. 

She has been a member of the 

governance group for the Deep 

South National Science Challenge 

since 2014, deputy chair of 

Waitangi National Trust since 

2017 and a member of the 

Waitangi Tribunal since 2008. 

Simpson is a past director of 

Global Women, AgResearch, 

Radio Maniapoto, Mighty 

River Power/Mercury Energy 

from 2001 to 2015, Landcare 

Research, Ngāi Tahu Tourism 

and the New Zealand 

Conservation Authority. Ms 

Simpson was the first Māori 

director and a deputy chair 

of the Reserve Bank of New 

Zealand between 2014 and 

2022. 

• See Waikato Business News 

February for full profile 

Tania Te Rangingangana Simpson. 

Photo: Mary Anne Gill 

Antarctic scientist 

returns to roots 

Megan Balks of Waikato University works in -15 degree wind chill conditions in the Wright Valley, one 

of Antarctic’s dry valleys. Balks’ team is drilling for ice core samples (pictured) that are believed to be 

thousands of years old. Photo: Martin de Ruyter, Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection. 

Megan Balks (pictured 

right) has been 

awarded the New 

Zealand Antarctic Medal 

for her services to Antarctic 

soil science in the 2024 New 

Years Honours list. 

“It is really lovely, I don’t 

necessarily feel like I deserve 

to be singled out, in some 

ways I feel it is far more than 

I ever deserve,” she said. 

Balks owns a small hill 

country sheep farm at the 

end of Pekanui Road, 18kms 

south west of Pirongia 

which includes over 20ha 

of QEII covenanted forest. 

From there, she pursues 

her interests in wool crafts, 

landscape art, photography 

and geology. 

She and her husband of 45 

years, Errol, have lived there 

for the past 16. 

Balks says it is somewhat 

of a return to her rural 

roots, having grown up on a 

Wairarapa sheep farm. 

Balks completed a BSc 

(Hons I) in Soil Science 

at Massey University and 

worked for three years 

for DSIR Soil Bureau 

undertaking soil surveys for 

irrigation development in 

Central Otago then moved 

to the University of Waikato 

where she was employed 

as a “junior lecturer” and 

completed her PhD on 

“Impacts of meat works 

effluent irrigation on soil 

physical properties”. 

In 1990, she joined other 

soil scientists beginning 

research into permafrost 

and human environmental 

impacts in Antarctica, going 

on to complete 19 Antarctic 

expeditions, 12 as field 

leader. 

Her most recent trip was 

in 2016. 

“Every one has been the 

adventure of a lifetime,” 

Balks told The News on 

Tuesday. While the nature of 

soil research and of itself is 

specific and calculated, my 

favourite aspect is absolutely 

exploring the Antarctic 

environment. 

“Soil science is obviously 

a very particular line of 

work and those fantastic 

experiences have led to 

me having the wonderful 

experience of making 

lifelong friends from all over 

the world.” 

“Lots of people tend to 

perhaps glamorise the 

Antarctic environment, 

and it is wonderful, but I 

just love the outdoors so 

walking something like the 

Tongariro Alpine Crossing is 

amazing too. 

Balks’ inaugural 1990 trip, 

she says, was possible thanks 

Antarctic soil research 

pioneers Drs Iain Campbell 

and Graeme Claridge. 

“They opened doors to 

opportunities I could never 

have dreamed of.” 

Through this research, 

a series of Antarctic 

soil climate monitoring 

stations were established 

that contribute to an 

international programme 

to monitor the effects of 

climate change in polar 

regions. 

Since retiring in 2018, 

Balk has written an award 

winning book on the soils 

of Aotearoa New Zealand 

and she has also served on 

the Waikato Conservation 

Board and the QEII National 

Trust.


Out and about… 

Waikato Business 

News contributors 

attend many events 

around the region and 

capture highlights. 

This month’s 

contributions are 

from the opening 

of Peake Mews, the 

ordination of Bishop 

Richard Laurenson, a 

Destination Cambridge 

presentation and a 

new gluten-free food 

business. If you have 

photos and captions 

you would like to 

contribute, contact 

editor@goodlocal.nz 

Hannah and Sabine Lang of Lang’s Little Bakery, Cambridge have opened a new 

wheels in motion gluten-free food business. Sabine, right, completed a business 

certificate with Open Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga and set up the business as a way 

of helping her daughters, including Hannah, left, who both have coeliac disease. 

 

Photo: Saul Osborne Photography. 


Selfies were order of the day following the ordination of Richard Laurenson, 

pictured centre, as the new Catholic Bishop of the Hamilton diocese last month. 

 


Bridge Housing trustee Leah Gordon with Westpac’s Steve Atkinson at the Peake Mews opening. 


It is an uncertain future for tourism in the region with the announcement 

by Waipā District Council it will stop funding i-Site information centres in Te 

Awamutu and Cambridge and cut its annual grant to Hamilton and Waikato 

Tourism. Destination Cambridge general manager Ruth Crampton, pictured, 

explains what difference losing $157,000 a year from the council means for her 

organisation. 


Bridge Housing trustee Sharleen Nathan, right, with TSM Draughting Services Tala and Suria O’Brien at the Peake Mews opening. 

Photo: Mary Anne Gill.



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Nigel Sun, Fosters CEO 

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Thank Thank you you you for your for for your your support support and and and cheers cheers to a to to a prosperous New New New Year. Year. Year.

Waikato Business News | January 12, 2024

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