Waikato Business News | March 1, 2024

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Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent 8 MAY 2024 Fosters – thriving at 50 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gardner cites the 44,000 square metre APL five star green rated factory at Hautapu, near Cambridge, as one of his highlights in the past decade. It came out of one of those relationships Fosters value. “The end product is absolutely beautiful, outstanding. There was a lot of trust both ways in the process.” Another more recent highlight is Union Square in Hamilton, once a car yard, now a partnership between Foster Develop, Ebbett Group and Imila Ltd. The second of five buildings in the complex recently opened on the corner of Anglesea, Hood and Alexandra streets. Eventually there will be 23,000 square metres of office space. That project, the highprofile Waikato Regional Theatre, Renal Centre at Waikato Hospital and other developments are enough to keep Fosters “profitable and sustainable” during what is another downturn in the construction industry coming so soon after the disruption of Covid. “The whole landscape has changed. I empathise but we’ve got to get on with it,” says Gardner. Shortages in the industry have been a killer for several companies. “There’s always a solution, you’ve got to find it. You’ve got to think differently.” There is another APL building to do at Hautapu and a couple of potential commercial projects which he would not divulge. “We’ve just got to wait for the market to correct itself.” Gardner, who was born in Rotorua and moved to Hamilton when he was 13, is married to Denise and the couple live in Raglan. Not for the surfing “I wish,” he says. The couple have three sons who have all left home and like their father attended Hamilton Boys High School. Gardner keeps recharging himself through innovative projects, his involvement in the Fosters trust and other ventures. He is proud of the company’s journey, his role in it and the succession planning in place. You have to work at Fosters to own shares. “It helps that personal engagement and ownership decisions,” particularly when all its business is in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. “We’ve got 14 shareholders across the Fosters group and their average age is mid 30s so that’s a pretty good succession process plus we’ve got the best people.” Like site manager Stu Miller who has worked for Fosters since 1984, when he started as an apprentice, and is the longest serving staff member. He was acknowledged at the 50th anniversary dinner as was director and shareholder Ross Pacey who retired after 24 years with the company. Pacey joined Wade and Ian Sanders in a panel discussion about the company’s history. Key alumni, past shareholders, clients, business partners and current staff were all on hand to celebrate. And so too was Gardner, front and centre again with that effervescent smile which has become his signature at any Fosters’ event. Socialising at the end of another successful project, Fosters’ Leonard Gardner, centre, with Hamilton City Council’s Blair Bowcott, left, and Cambridge architect Antanas Procuta, right. Photo: Mary Anne Gill. Guests at the 50 th anniversary dinner at Claudelands Event Centre. 2024 WAIKATO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS AWARDS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY AWARD ENTRIES NOW OPEN! SCAN OUR QR CODE TO ENTER HERE FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR EXCLUSIVE UPDATES facebook.com/WaikatoBusinessAwards/ FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE OUR WEBSITE waikatochamber.co.nz/waikato-business-awards/ DROP IN HELP SESSIONS SESSION ONE 10 May VIRTUAL SESSION TWO 7 June IN PERSON SESSION THREE 21 June VIRTUAL
MAY 2024 OUR ENVIRONMENT ADVERTORIAL 9 Marae as infrastructure By PHIL MACKAY As with any crisis, disaster or societal challenge, the extreme weather events of the last couple of years also present some interesting opportunities. One is the opportunity, in planning for future events, to consider how marae might play a greater role as a core part of our civil defence infrastructure. At the New Zealand Economic Forum earlier this year, Bryce Davies of IAG noted the economic cost of weather-related events sits at around 4.3 per cent of gross domestic product a year - similar to what we spend on education. He pointed out that, “as resilient as New Zealanders are, individually and personally, we have a resilience deficit in the country”. Sir Brian Roche, in the same session, said “we have made a virtue of recovery, and not of our preparedness”. Many marae are in remote areas at risk in extreme weather events. It makes marae uniquely placed to become sanctuaries for communities in times of need. We’ve seen this in action already last year; marae, and iwi and hapū mobilised quickly and played a significant role in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle. Meihana Watson at Omāhu Marae was quoted saying that by the third day after the floods, they had taken in 800 displaced people. “We saw no one from any Civil Defence, council for about seven days, so we had to stand up as a community and that’s what we did.” There are already initiatives underway to take this further and strengthen relationships. COUNCIL COMMENT Amalgamate the functions By ANDREW BYDDER There are 67 councils across New Zealand. Is that too many? Should we get rid of some by amalgamation? Councils began with amalgamation around 150 years ago. District Water and Road Boards were joined because the same people were doing the same administration. It made sense to reduce bureaucracy. Since then, many more roles have been added to councils. Some of these functions make sense, such as rubbish and sports fields, which are best managed locally. Others made sense when they started, such as libraries and building consents. Now that these can be managed nationally, it is inefficient to have 67 councils across New Zealand each running their own systems. Still more have never really made sense. Zoos and theatres have great community value, but councils don’t bring any management skills to the board room table for highly specialised services. Hamilton City Council has 28 different business units. The smaller councils in the region have similar responsibilities, but fewer staff to deal with them. This implies amalgamation is essential because it is very hard for the smaller councils to cope. But the real problem is that councillors and senior managers simply don’t have the expertise in all those areas to be effective, or even useful, regardless of the size of the council. This why Auckland amalgamation has resulted in more bureaucracy, not less. The solution is to amalgamate certain functions, either regionally or nationally, and give them autonomy. For example, a Waikato District Council states that “we want to work with marae in our district to build relationships and capacity between Civil Defence Emergency Management and mana whenua”. “We are currently working with CDEM to develop a Marae Resilience Strategy. The aim of this strategy is to work proactively with marae communities in our district to prepare, plan and support their resilience.” Te Kotahi o Te Tauihu Charitable Trust (a collaboration of the eight mana whenua iwi in the top of the South Island) have launched Ipu Ohotata – emergency containers filled with equipment, and skilled trained response teams, geographically spread across Te Tauihu rohe (Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman). A review into the Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence response to Cyclone Gabrielle recommended a law change that would see Māori formally included in disaster planning and recovery. Report author Mike Bush said “they must be included. They have the capability, they have the resource, but unless we co-ordinate our response appropriately with all of that capability, we won’t get the right outcome”. The network of marae across Aotearoa provide a unique advantage in terms of the physical and social infrastructure required to adapt and respond to the threats of climate change and natural disaster readiness. Many marae already have long terms plans for the development of their marae. The opportunity is to include Marae as a critical component of planning, and identify ways to assist in funding facilities we ultimately all benefit from. national building consent service can be run by building experts funded by consent fees; libraries (which already have a national association and inter-regional loan system) can be managed centrally and funded by taxes rather than rates, while zoos could be run by independent trusts with a combination of admission charges and subsidies. Kaitaia library has more in common with Bluff library than either has with their local council sewer system. The advantage to councils of removing some functions is to simplify their management systems for their retained services. Currently, the health and safety manager has to deal with librarians at risk of a paper cut, right through to zookeepers at risk of being killed by a tiger (which happened in Hamilton). Any one system that tries to deal with this range ends up being complicated for every user. It is to nobody’s benefit. An autonomous national library can have a system tailored to their needs that is very different to one used by zoos. Where services, such as water, wastewater, and stormwater, benefit from local knowledge and management, local councils can be retained for local representation. There are no economies of scale to be gained by merging management of Te Kuiti’s sewer system with Tauranga Council when the pipes are separated by 140km and a mountain range. The outcome of amalgamation by function will allow councils to change focus from mere administration back to good management, with less bureaucracy and therefore lower rates. One Of A Kind ‐ Purpose-Built Accommodation Near Hamilton Airport Every now and again we come across something truly unique (a word used far too often), but the opportunity at the Clearways Accommodation Campus, formerly the L3 Commercial Pilot Training Accommodation facility, is exceptional. Located at 54 Clearway Rise, Rukuhia, and designed to cater for diverse accommodation needs, it is strategically situated only 3km from both Hamilton Airport and the Waikato Expressway. This modern purposebuilt accommodation complex offers a unique blend of comfort, convenience and space, nestled on lush park-like grounds, with additional land for future expansion of complimentary type requirements. Comprising 6 buildings and sheltered amidst 6 hectares of sprawling native planting, this property stands as a beacon of modernity and functionality. The original four accommodation blocks were constructed in 2006 and boast meticulously designed spacious interiors to facilitate a comfortable living experience for occupiers. Each of the buildings feature centralised common areas, including lounges, kitchens, laundry facilities, gym facilities and table tennis tables, air conditioning/heating units, and outdoor patios equipped with BBQ facilities and seating arrangements. The amenities within the common kitchens are nothing short of comprehensive, including walk-in chillers, freezers, pots, pans, crockery, and cutlery, ensuring that residents have everything they need at their fingertips. Furthermore, each bedroom is thoughtfully furnished with a double bed, individual climate control, a study desk with an office chair, an easy chair for relaxation, and a ranch slider leading to a patio. Over the years, the property has undergone significant enhancements and numerous expansions to meet the growing demand for accommodation. Building 5 was added in 2008, followed by Building 6 and extensions to Buildings 1 and 2 in 2013, growing the complex to collectively accommodate for up to 200 beds. NAI Harcourts Hamilton are privileged to have been appointed as the exclusive marketing agents to re-lease this campus, either all or in part. Its strategically positioned on Clearways Rise, via a gated access off SH21/Airport Road, a location offering seamless connectivity to key destinations such as Cambridge, Te Awamutu, and Hamilton. Additionally, with the Waikato Expressway to Auckland at its doorstep, occupiers enjoy unparalleled accessibility to major urban centres, north, south and east”. The proximity to Hamilton Airport and Titanium Park Industrial subdivision, along with neighbouring attractions such as Tieke Golf Estate and Mystery Creek Events Centre, adds to the allure of this prime and growing destination. Under the purview of the Operative District Plan of the Waipa District Council, 54 Clearway Rise resides within the Rural Zone, holding a Resource Consent specifically designated for large format accommodation purposes. This unique property offering presents a compelling lease opportunity for organizations involved in pilot training or other related industries to secure a premium accommodation facility for their training and business needs. This extensive and unparalleled offering could potentially also suit other accommodation based uses/types and the owners are prepared to investigate those possibilities. With its contemporary amenities, strategic location, and robust infrastructure, Clearways Accommodation Centre stands ready to elevate the living standards of its future residents while meeting the demands of a dynamic large format accommodation landscape. Having lived around Hamilton most of my life, I didn’t know this existed, as is probably the case for most people. So, if you might have an interest in all or part of this complex, let us know – or maybe you know someone else looking for such a facility? as the opportunities appear to be wide and varied. Website: https://nai.harcourts. net/nz/office/nai-hamilton- commercial/listing/l27086416- 54-clearway-rise-hamiltonairport-nz
Page 1 and 2: MAY 2024 Fosters - thriving at 50 F
Page 3 and 4: MAY 2024 Briefs… Truckin’ on On
Page 5 and 6: MAY 2024 Long term contact is a tre
Page 7: MAY 2024 Resthaven development open
Page 11 and 12: MAY 2024 TOURISM How we rise the ti
Page 13 and 14: MAY 2024 FEATURE CONFERENCES ADVERT
Page 15 and 16: MAY 2024 CONFERENCES Your guide to:
Page 17 and 18: MAY 2024 HUMAN RESOURCES & RECRUITM
Page 19 and 20: MAY 2024 Out and about… More Out

Waikato Business News | March 1, 2024

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