> PROFILE
Bernice Breckon –A human dynamo determined to make a di erence Page 18-19
> LEISURE
Summer time, and the cruisin’s easy –Tauranga Harbour beckons Page 23
MIDDLE-EAST CONUNDRUM
The Porter Report looks to responsibilities of key players and ongoing Israel-Palestine tensions Page 4
Anticipated tax policy changes and their implications – Insights by Andrea Scatchard
ALAN NEBEN NOTICES
‘Now you’re speaking my language’: selfimprovement suggestions for Kiwis Page 22
We look at the general electorates that make up Bay of Plenty Business News’ circulation area and talk to the successful candidates about the message they are taking from the results. Our political specialist David Porter also talks to local business leaders about the National clean-sweep and what they believe BOP businesses can expect in the term ahead. Page 6
As the National Party forms a coalition and New Zealand prepares for a new government, mortgage adviser Claire Williamson believes the incoming government will have a task ahead of them in tackling the country’s current issues in the property and personal finance sectors.
Based in Cambridge, Williamson speaks with her clients about the ups and downs of property, lending, and personal finance on a daily basis, and offers valuable a perspective on the changes that are needed in the industry.
“It’s important that we acknowledge the positive, and the first home loan is working well. Since the changes made to first home loans in 2022, the increase in first home buyers being able to use the first home grant has been huge,” she says. “Pre-approval is possible, it helps the process go smoothly, and we have plenty of options in terms of lender, rates, and structure. It’s a big tick from me on this front!”
But Williamson says there are some challenges too, including having existing personal debt. She says banks are always tougher on approving loans for new borrowers when they have consumer
debt in place, for example, car loans, credit cards, Afterpay, or personal loans.
“I’d love to see the government reward first home buyers who actively save, spend their money wisely, and have no existing debt.
A simple credit check included in the application to Kainga Ora would verify this.
“It would be great to see these first home buyers provided with additional first home grant funds, similar to those building a new home, as it incentivises would-be borrowers to reduce their debt and become more attractive to a lender,” she explains.
For most middle-income households, Williamson says their single biggest cost is childcare for their under-fives. It worries her that it’s more expensive for working parents to return to work than it is to stay home – dependent on their income.
“It’s a big cost, with some fam-
ilies spending up to $20,000 per year on childcare, and they’re barely making ends meet. Supporting these families would go a long way to getting parents back to work – if they choose to, of course – which in turn supports businesses,” she says.
Williamson believes property investors have been somewhat of a scapegoat for the current government as interest deductibility was removed, the bright line test switched back to ten years, and rent freezes have been talked about.
“I think this approach is all wrong – the investor-tenant relationship is symbiotic, and it should be treated as such,” she explains.
“Each needs to support the other, and policymakers would do well to consider more carefully the impact of these rushed pieces of legislation. From my perspective, supporting the reversal of
these policies is a win for tenants, who are currently paying higher rents and have less surety because some investors are being forced to sell property to pay tax on income they’ve already spent – on paying the bank. More are still selling existing properties in favour of new builds, which is more disruptive for tenants,” she adds.
Williamson says the changes in the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act have been the most challenging piece of legislation to hit the financial services industry in years.
“Unfortunately, it hasn’t delivered any substantial changes to the problem it was trying to solve – protecting vulnerable borrowers. To achieve that outcome would mean administrating more compliance across smaller lenders, and that takes more resources and a united industry,” she says.
“What it has done is frustrated advisers and bank staff and add to an already high workload for little to no gain for borrowers. Although I gripe about it from time to time, believe it or not, banks actually have really good mechanisms in place for picking
up vulnerable borrowers, and I think the Responsible Lending Code does a great job of that already.”
Williamson would also like to see the RBNZ limits for low LVR lending increase, and tip the balance further in favour of first home buyers. This may require a reduction in the limits for investment- based lending, but with many property investors moving to renovate their existing portfolio or purchase new builds, this wouldn’t disadvantage too many.
“Let’s allocate more funding for lower deposits it’s tough for first home buyers who are outside eligibility for the first home loan, so this would allow more of them to get into their own homes,” Williamson adds.
“Property and lending is a tough gig, and I’m sure no government will get it 100% right. But from someone out there in the trenches talking to those doing it tough to fulfil their goal of home ownership, I hope this advice is useful for our incoming leaders and can set in motion positive changes to future lending for Kiwis.”
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In
> By DAVID PORTER
Great power brings with it great responsibilities.
This adage has been around in various languages since at least the first century BC. The truth of the saying has been recently laid bare by the conspicuous reluctance of the key players to exercise their responsibilities during the current middle eastern crisis.
As we went to press the seemingly eternal issue of the rights of Israel and Palestine to exist as separate states was again surging.
US President Joe Biden, to his credit, quickly embarked upon some shuttle diplomacy to the region. But he appears to have been completely outplayed by Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli president essentially only grudgingly and belatedly gave permission for a trickle of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, one of the two small enclaves that Palestinians have been largely confined to for decades.
Netanyahu realised that
Biden was, regardless of his humanitarian instincts, largely beholden to maintaining its consistent US support over decades to support Israel – currently to the tune of around US$3.8 billion a year. And that Biden was also enmired with poor polls in a tough US election campaign and was very aware of the strong pro-Israeli lobby in the US.
Let me state clearly that the attacks by the terror group Hamas against Israel, which triggered the current conflagration, were appalling and unacceptable.
But I am baffled by Israel’s intemperate response in Gaza. This has in a matter of weeks turned global opinion
from seeing Israel as plucky victims, into their being portrayed as genocidal monsters raining down air strikes that have so far killed in excess of 5,000 Palestinians and turned acres of houses throughout Gaza to rubble.
I fail to understand why Netanyahu’s government does not understand that all they are doing is encouraging observers to re-examine the dismal record of – not only Israel and Palestinians – but all parties’ failure to create the long-promised fair and equitable two-state solution.
There is no shortage of historical record on the subject and plenty of blame to go around, including on the part of the backers of both sides. And that goes back to the sad colonial history in which the British Mandate in Palestine was essentially used to carve out a state for Israel and no real avenue was allowed to let the displaced Palestinians function as a people.
The reality is that Israel – especially under Netanyahu’s right-wing government – has essentially created a
prison camp for Palestinians inside the small sliver of land allowed to them in Gaza.
And it has increasingly both encouraged and failed to control Israeli settler groups to illegally occupy land supposedly granted to Palestinians in the West Bank of Israel.
Part of this response stems from the fact that Netanyahu, who is dealing with various legal problems, is by no means universally popular in Israel. There is clearly unease within Israel and amongst Israel supporters abroad about blowback on the current course of action.
At least part of the current Israeli government’s response is its attempt to atone for having conspicuously failed to protect Israel from the terror attacks by Hamas, which had arguably been encouraged by Israel to run the administration of Gaza.
Sadly the failures of both sides, and their supporters, are only likely to result in more pain and bloodshed for innocent civilians on both sides of this appalling crisis.
Quayside has joined Watts & Hughes and Carrus in a joint venture partnership for the development of the 35 Hamilton Street Commercial Centre building, based in the heart of the Tauranga CBD.
Quayside has enjoyed an extensive relationship with Carrus, with the shared purpose of collectively exploring developments within the Tauranga CBD. Through this relationship, the joint venture partnership with Carrus, Watts & Hughes and Quayside has emerged. This JV trio brings together extensive experience in construction, development and investment. Watts & Hughes is a well-recognised national investment and construction business with strong Bay of Plenty roots.
Carrus, founded by Sir Paul Adams has a formidable reputation across business and property development. Sir Paul is a well-known local philanthropist and businessman, with extensive residential and land development experience.
Sam Newbury, senior investment manager for Quayside Holdings says, ‘’This partnership builds upon Quayside’s previously announced acquisition of Tauranga Crossing, demonstrating large-scale co-investment partners with an excellent reputation in the property sector. We’re thrilled to partner with seasoned commercial developers and leaders in the business community. This investment capitalises on Priority One’s Blueprint
and concurrent Tauranga City Council works, which all pursue the goal of a revitalised, thriving city centre.”
“Carrus are pleased to be continuing our business relationship with Quayside Holdings, in relation to the high-quality commercial building in Hamilton Street, which incorporates commercial office tenancies and significant tenant and public car parking in Tauranga CBD.
“Our joint partnership also includes Watts & Hughes, with Craig Watts being a long-time friend and associate. Collaborating with people and parties who already know and understand each other’s business skills and modus operandi makes for a very comfortable, professional business relationship.
“Carrus are proud to be associated with this group in providing another part of the commercial CBD redevelopment that Tauranga City has been lacking,” said Carrus Group chair Sir Paul Adams.
Initially designed as a seven-story carpark building, 35 Hamilton Street has been entirely reimagined by the joint venture into a new formation, complete with the provision of new structural engineering to facilitate the change in building design and in
response to seismic requirements.
“Watts & Hughes take great pride in the opportunity to continue to provide quality construction projects to the Bay of Plenty community through this JV partnership,” says Watts & Hughes managing director Craig Watts.
“Originally formed in 1984, Watts & Hughes have grown substantially over time, incorporating other enterprises related to our core business.
“Watts & Hughes Construction employs more than 180 skilled and professional team members nationwide and have completed more than 800 building projects, many of which have been carried out across multiple government agencies and private corporations in variety of disciplines including residential, commercial, industrial and institutional,” he said.
“The synergy of our relationship with Quayside and Carrus can be seen respectively through successful projects such as Palm-
erston North Distribution Centre and currently Te Uru Rakau New Building. Not all construction companies balance the best standards of the past with the competence and vision to meet the changing needs of a diverse range of clients for the future. We do.”
When complete, 35 Hamilton Street will be a 14-story building, comprising seven car parking levels on the base, and seven office levels on top, with views across the Tauranga Harbour to the East and Waikareao Estuary to the West. The building will be nestled within Te Manawataki o Te Papa, the new CBD precinct currently being developed by Tauranga City Council.
Working alongside the developers, Tauranga City Council has enabled the deliverable of 200 public carparks within the building and a raft of services to come following the building’s completion – a positive outcome for the community.
Tauranga City Council General Manager of City Development and Partnerships, Gareth Wallis says, “We’re thrilled about this joint venture. It reinforces the confidence that both the private and public sector have in the revitalisation of our city centre and is a great example of the collaboration and commitment required to support its successful transformation.
“We also welcome the features that the development itself will bring. They’ll play a key role in complementing the neighbouring civic precinct, Te Manawataki o Te Papa, and help make our city centre an even greater place for people to live, work, learn and play in the coming years.”
This investment plentifully aligns with the Quayside values, strategy and overarching purpose – to grow a diversified fund that generates long-term returns and supports the growth and prosperity of the Bay of Plenty.
The 2023 election results have seen a clear National Party victory across the country. The same mandate for change is evident throughout the wider Bay of Plenty region. We went to press with this issue just before the final count including special votes was confirmed in early November. But there will almost certainly be no change in the Bay of Plenty results.
> By DAVID PORTER
While it remains to be seen whether Winston Peters’ NZ First Party picks up enough special votes to influence the final shape of the future government, National, with David Seymour’s ACT Party in support, is almost certain to hold power.
As well as the individual electorate MP races in each of the five electorates, National also won the party vote by significant margins.
Only Labour’s Tauranga-based Jan Tinetti, who has yet to win a local candidate seat, will return to Parliament as a locally based List MP because of her high placing on the party vote.
One could see the result as a resounding swing to National. However, as many have commented, as much as anything it suggests a move away from the outgoing Labour Government and the left wing in general.
Labour failed to follow through
As several of the people interviewed for this story noted, Labour had in recent years enjoyed resounding electorate success and had a clear mandate for its policies. But it failed to achieve what it had promised and initiated too many ambitious projects that were never likely to be realised.
There are plenty of places to lay the blame: a left-wing government that wasn’t united across its supporting parties; the rigours and costs of Labour fighting Covid 19, and the unfortunate recent public disgraces of a large number of senior Labour MPs.
But it came down to a sense in the electorate that Labour had stalled despite its initial mandate.
The Ardern factor
I regard former prime minister Jacinda
Ardern as one of the most successful Labour leaders in decades.
Ardern is also exceptionally astute. She read the early signs of Labour falling in the polls and opted to promptly jettison her prime ministership and head for US academia.
She handed on what proved to be a poisoned chalice to the new and now defeated Labour prime minister Chris Hipkins.
I have been fortunate in my career to have reported on, travelled with and worked for a number of politicians from various parties.
In my experience, most intelligent politicians I have known tended to have gone into their profession out of a genuine desire to do their best for their constituents’ interests.
live in a relatively stable and democratic country, in which exercising our vote is easy and accurate.
Todd Muller recently retired as a National MP and has taken up the role of independent chairman of council and local business-owned group Priority One. He told the Bay of Plenty Business News that the local business community would have a strong expectation of new momentum from the incoming government, matched with hope that it brings some additional local investment to the region.
agreements and some adjustment to employment relationships, like the return of the 90-day trial, as things that would be supported by the business community.
Cowley said that currently there were business areas that were hurting quite a lot, but some sectors were growing well.
“I think people are going to be looking at 2024 as probably a challenging year, in geopolitics as well the US election,” he said.
“But there are some really good green shoots coming through – Food and Beverage is growing in new markets as well.
“Businesses are preparing for the economy to cool sideways,” he said. “For some people it will be tough.”
Unfortunately, many end up spending too much of their careers in parliament in Wellington, away from their families and constituents, grinding out
90-hour weeks.
come with pay, perks and
I am not suggesting that senior electorate jobs don’t come with pay, perks and some glamour – they do. But I’m not sure voters always appreciate how wearying and sometimes ungratify-
ing MPs’ jobs can be.
“My sense is that there was significant frustration at the lack of urgency of central government investment to support our city and wider region over the last few years – and that this was felt throughout our local business sectors,” said Muller.
Veteran National MP Todd McClay, who has again retained the Rotorua electorate, told the Bay of Plenty Business News that the election result was very humbling.
“I think the reason for the result is similar to the rest of the country – there has not been nearly enough achieved,” he said.
The current mayhem and Middle
The current mayhem and massacres in the Middle East and the bizarre behaviours in the US house of congress make me appreciate that
we are fortunate to this was felt throughout Tauranga BusiNews
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley told the Bay of Plenty Business there was a lot of low-hanging fruit in Nationals’ policies that would be supported by the business community.
He cited fair pay
“The cost of living has increased quite significantly, and in the BOP the roads were in a very sad state. During the campaign that was expressed quite clearly by many people.”
McClay said that over the past six years the polling suggested that what might have been achieved had gone backwards.
“We will put a stable government together, and are clear about the first 100 days commitments.”
Newly anointed National MP Tom Rutherford, who took over Muller’s seat, said
> I think people are going to be looking at 2024 as probably a challenging year, in geopolitics as well the US election. But there are some really good green shoots coming through – Food and Beverage is growing in new markets as well.”
– MATT COWLEY
The region’s winners include:
• BAY OF PLENTY, Tom Rutherford (National)
• TAURANGA , Sam Uffindell (National)
• ROTORUA , Todd McClay (National)
• EAST COAST, Dana Kirkpatrick (National)
• COROMANDEL , Scott Simpson (National)
there were a number of key issues.
“There was a mood for change,” he said.
“People were unhappy with how the Labour government performed – particularly as they had a majority and they had no reason not to bring about change in their time. They weren’t successful. “
Rutherford said he believed the biggest issues locally were the cost of living, fixing and rebuilding out the economy, law and order and improving education and health care.
‘I would often talk about our focus on transport and infrastructure,” he told the Bay of Plenty Business News.
“We’ve got a real congestion issue here and we need to ensure we have suitable transport infrastructure to service our role as the fastest growing city in NZ. Transport infrastructure has not caught up.”
National’s Scott Simpson retained his Coromandel seat in a landslide, an electorate he has held since 2011. He told the Bay of Plenty Business News that he felt National’s success was in part a result of the fact that like many other communities, the Coromandel had been hit hard by the Labour government’s rigid and centralised approach to policy.
“Ours is an electorate made up of small businesses, usually family run,” he said.
“They’ve been doing it tough.”
Simpson said the community’s age demographic skewed towards seniors aged 65-plus.
“They have been trying to cope with the cost-of-living crisis, reduced access to health care and, like all New Zealanders, they have been outraged by the crime wave sweeping their local communities,” he said.
“These were people who want a government focused on the issues that matter to them. Labour simply were not.”
The most pressing issues he found in the leadup were the cost-of-living crisis,
Neighbours overlooking the Southern end of Matakana Island might start to notice the landscape change, as contractors begin to harvest the mature pine trees on the island.
90 hectares of mature pine trees will start to be felled from Monday 16 October 2023.
Revenue from harvesting the trees, owned by Western Bay of Plenty District Council, will go towards funding the building of the much-needed replacement wharf at Panepane Point.
“We want to let the community know, because we know that the beautiful taonga of Matakana is part of the unique and precious landscape around Tauranga Moana. It’s going to look a bit different along the island foreshore for a few years and we are working hard to restore the native flora and fauna at Panepane Point,” explains Council’s Reserves and Facilities Manager, Peter Watson.
“Working with the local hapū from Matakana Island, we will replant in appropriate native trees and shrubs for approximately 20 metres inland around the outside of the island at Panepane Point, and the balance area will be a new crop of pines.
despite formalising a transfer to return most of the whenua at the eastern end of the island to a local trust in October 2021. Council continues to work through the statutory process to transfer the land, which is taking longer than anticipated.
> My sense is that there was significant frustration at the lack of urgency of central government investment to support our city and wider region over the last few years – and that this was felt throughout our local business sectors.”
– TODD MULLER
out of control crime, poor access to health services and roading infrastructure issues, he said.
The East Coast electorate went blue after National candidate Dana Kirkpatrick convincingly won the seat. In an interview with the Rotorua Daily Post she said that given Labour’s big win in 2020, her campaign was conscious they had ground to make up.
The seat was convincingly won in the previous election by Labour’s Kiri Allan, who had turned around what had previously been a National stronghold. She subsequently became one of the several Labour MPs to recently resign.
The electorate understood the need to have someone from there, who lived there, who worked there, who had been a CEO and a general manager there, Kirkpatrick told the Post.
Muller told the Bay of Plenty Business News that once the new government had been sworn in, the business community would be looking forward to progressing genuine partnership that facilitated the roading, housing and wider amenity infrastructure that the region desperately needed.
“A wider New Zealand recovery requires the Bay to be leading from the front – that can happen with the right shared investment in infrastructure and people,” he said.
“This harvest, and the reinvestment of the revenue into the replacement wharf that we need to keep our island thriving, is an important step for the hapū that are connected to Matakana Island.”
Council still owns Panepane Point,
Council also urges any members of the public planning to travel across to the island while harvesting is taking place to stay clear of all machinery and harvest sites, and to follow the directions of the forestry contractor crews.
Harvesting will continue through October and November 2023. Council, the hapū and boat operators are continuing to work through the design for the wharf as harvesting continues.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s consent application lodgement process will be returning to requiring minimum fees to be paid at the beginning.
From Tuesday 24 October, Council requires minimum fees to be paid upfront for applications for resource consents and consent variations, as well as applications for post decision processes (EDA and 223/224).
Council’s General Manager Regulatory Services, Alison Curtis, says it follows a review of the current approach and aligns it with neighbouring councils.
“By requiring minimum fees to be paid at the start of the process once again, we’re operating more effectively on a user pay as you go basis,” explains Alison.
“One of benefits for consent applicants is if the upfront fee covers a significant amount, if not all the costs of processing the consent. If there are no additional costs, then the decision can be released immediately at the end of the process.”
Council moved away from requiring fees at lodgement in April 2020, to provide relief during the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, to reduce the onus of cost on Council at the start of the process, a decision has been made to require upfront payments again.
“Council processes around 450 resource consents and post-decision processes annually, but we are also involved in additional processes like Land Information Memorandums (LIMs).
“As we have been covering the upfront costs during this process, it does mean we carry a high level of consent debt which has the potential to impact wider Council service delivery,” explains Alison.
For many franchisee entrepreneurs, the opportunity to run their own businesses with the support and recognition of an established brand is the realisation of a dream. But what if achieving the dream is not enough? What are the options for already successful franchisees to continue growth, be challenged and prosper?
Asingle franchise unit can be a lucrative endeavor, but many franchisees aspire to expand and become multi-unit franchisees. Becoming a multi-unit franchisee means owning and operating two or more business units within a brand framework.
It makes logical sense if a franchise has been successful within a brand and business unit that they would be able to successfully open further units; at the end of the day, franchising is about repetition.
There are numerous benefits in pursuing this model including economies of scale: two or more business units may utilize the same backroom resources such as accounting, human resources and administration. Second or further units may also provide a pathway for developing and retaining key personnel.
Multi-unit franchise ownership can reduce risks over time – one unit may perform better than the other at certain times of the year or certain phases of the economic cycle.
Multi-unit ownership may also be easier for a franchisee entrepreneur to fund, they have the dual benefit of the franchise model and performance benchmarking and their own track record within the brand.
BY NATHAN BONNEY
There are potentially several reasons why multi-unit ownership within a franchise brand may not be an option. For example, a particular market may only be able to sustain one unit, or perhaps the franchise business model does not support, or the brand does not allow, multi-unit ownership.
An often-followed path by many successful franchisees is a rinse and repeat cycle. The model is straightforward, the franchisee understands the brand and how to
be successful within the brand, they open or perhaps acquire and develop a franchise business unit, sell for capital gain, and repeat the process with another.
Whilst this can be commercially beneficial, for some franchisees it does not provide the challenge and growth component.
Where a market may not sustain the addition of a second particular brand franchise business unit, a viable option for a successful franchisee can be to open a business unit of a second or different brand.
In New Zealand this is usually under the umbrella of the same franchisor.
It’s not uncommon for franchisors to own and operate more than one brand, usually within the same general category, such as food and beverage, retail, or a cluster of home or commercial services.
This is often to diversify the franchisor’s business but can also be to provide multi-unit and growth opportunities for franchisees.
Overseas an area of significant growth is multi-brand ownership, where a franchisee may own units across different brands and franchisors. This can provide true diversification benefits as well as opportunities for growth and cross-pollination for both the franchisee and franchisor.
Move from franchisee to master franchisee
Finally, and an area of opportunity for successful franchisees, perhaps underdeveloped in the New Zealand franchising eco-system is the transition from ‘franchisee’ to ‘master franchisee’. A master franchisee has the right to develop multiunits in a region and or multiple regions and, or, to appoint sub-franchisees.
Whilst they must operate within the franchise framework, they in effect become a mini-franchisor and benefit from increased autonomy and an ability to be increasingly entrepreneurial, particularly in the areas of business development, marketing and supply chains.
Master franchisee ownership also provides diversification of income, usually by franchisee fees, possible supplier rebates and, or, margin from being part of the supply chain. It can also provide a successful franchisee the challenge and privilege of sharing their knowledge, experience and successes with the next generation of franchisees. Whilst franchisee success is usually achieved by sticking to the system, beyond one business unit for the successful franchisee there are a number of tried and proven methods to continue to grow and expand upon their success.
Nathan Bonney is a director of Iridium Partners. He can be reached at nathan@iridium.net.nz or 0275 393 022
It probably feels like something is missing from your life right now. It might be time, money, freedom, appreciation … or perhaps you’ve just lost sight of who you really are. But fear not, there is a secret method to get whatever you want in your business and your life … if you’re prepared to step out of your comfort zone to get it.
My whole life, I felt like I was chasing something. First, it was independence. Next, it was confidence. Then, it was money I pursued, followed by love.
Yes, it took me a while to realise my priorities were a little messed-up at that point in my life.
Still, the never-ending race continued. Next up on the wish list, I sought success, followed by respect and recognition. Finally, I realised: I was just chasing time.
But while the chase is thrilling, it is also exhausting.
I was always stalked by that feeling of not being enough. Not good enough. Not fast enough. Not successful enough. Not having achieved enough. Not having slept enough.
When we feel something is missing from our lives, we usually have one solution: work harder.
But we do not realise that the harder the work – the faster we chase – the more the thing which we seek evades us.
This is why all the emotional things we desire – success, happiness, confidence – are illusory: the more we chase, the quicker they escape our grasp.
But there is a way to escape the unstoppable treadmill of desire. You can hit pause on the chase. Even better, you can stop altogether, and let the thing you desire come to you.
Sound too good to be true? Not
if you know the secret to getting whatever you want.
For your entire career, you have been lied to. You were told success was about accumulation. You had to obtain the right experiences, qualifications and connections. If you were ever going to get the things you wanted, then you’d have to collect the long list of attributes that you supposedly needed.
The result? You become a hoarder of knowledge. Because you believe your career is a long process of collecting and obtaining, you always believe you need more knowledge.
Want to make more money? Get more valuable skills. Want more capacity for your team? Get them some time management training. Want to be a better leader? Get in a leadership coach (let’s face it, there are enough of them to go around).
But what if obtaining more isn’t the answer?
Because if you want to really get what you want, there’s something you need to understand: what you obtain is not as important as who you become.
Having a bucket-load of knowledge, and not putting it to good use has the same impact as being ignorant. Except the ignorant person didn’t waste months, or years,
BY FREDDIE BENNETT
‘obtaining’ that knowledge in the first place.
That’s why the process of hoarding and obtaining is not the answer. The answer lies in removing almost everything.
Success comes from subtraction. When my clients want to transform their businesses, teams or lives, they begin by insisting on ‘more’.
First they want training. Then they want the courses. Then the guidebooks. Then the seminars.
But if you really want to get whatever it is you desire, then the first thing I recommend is this: Get out of your own way.
You don’t need another strategy, training plan, 5-step-process or blueprint. What you need is to
remove everything that’s tripping you up. Hint: The single biggest factor that’s getting in your way is … you.
So stop overcomplicating it. Quit waiting for things to be perfect. No more endless searching for that final piece of the puzzle or the elusive ‘breakthrough moment’. Stop creating a plan and start taking action.
What action do you need to take however?
You only need to do one thing:
If you remove everything that’s holding you back, you can have whatever you want ... if ... you’re willing to ask 1,000 people for it. Ask them, in-person or on the phone. One at a time.
Of course, the problem arises when you’re not willing to do that. You might pluck up the courage to ask one or two people, but then you’ll stop asking.
It’s a crazy paradox of life and business that we stop asking for what we want in life, even if we don’t get it.
You’ll stop asking because you’ll tell yourself a lie about ‘getting too busy’, but the truth is: you don’t want to be hurt by any more rejection.
But rejection isn’t reality. It is not a physical thing. It’s a feeling
we create. Rejection is a story we make up, based on some words somebody else said. We cause ourselves a load of pain just because someone said, “No thank you”.
Whether it’s the sale, the date, the job, the project, the client –we are afraid that we won’t hear “yes”, so we would prefer to hear silence.
It’s true, you do need to hear “yes” to get what you want. But you also need to hear “no”. You can’t have one without the other. It’s like saying you can’t have ‘up’ without ‘down’, or you can’t have ‘north’ without ‘south’, or you can’t have ‘heads’ without ‘tails’ – you can’t have “yes”, without “no”.
Stop hanging so much weight upon a tiny, two-letter word.
“No” is good. Every “no” is a step closer to getting what you want. So, embrace the secret to getting whatever you want … by asking for it.
Go make some outrageous requests. And remember that ‘yes’ lives in the land of ‘no’.
Guinness World Record Holder, podcast host and bestselling author, Freddie is known as ‘The Profit Hunter’. He helps business owners enjoy more time, money and freedom by discovering and extracting hidden profits in their companies. Email Freddie@conqueryourmedia.com
Cast your mind back to the last time you applied for a job and didn’t hear back from that company. Were you under-qualified? Were you over-qualified? Perhaps you weren’t quite the right team fit. Or maybe your CV and cover letter wasn’t up to scratch.
Time passes and you patiently wait, but there is no response. No matter the reason, these unanswered questions leave you feeling disappointed, confused, and dissatisfied.
Next, think about flipping this scenario around, with roles reversed: you are the potential employer who left your applicant hanging with no response. Now imagine that they are out there sharing with their friends and family about their negative experience with you and how no update, feedback or response was given. Clearly, this is not an ideal situation for your business.
Treating candidates like customers is key. Here we outline recommendations to help you deliver an exceptional recruitment experience.
First impressions work both ways – in particular the power of first impressions is a stand-out for many job seekers. The very first encounter is an opportunity to build a trusting relationship with a potential employee and show them first-hand the values and culture of your business. Even for those candidates who decline
BY KELLIE HAMLETT
offers or who are unsuccessful in the process, the quality of their experience through the recruitment process is fundamental. On the flip side, negative experiences can have far-reaching consequences.
Communication points throughout the recruitment process are critical for engaging candidates and to prevent them from being hired by your competition. Many companies believe that candidates who are unsuccessful don’t need to be notified, and that if they don’t receive an update, they will assume they were not picked for the job. Many view this as unprofessional. Customers in a store would never be ignored or have inquires unanswered – why would we treat job seekers any differently?
Candidates deserve to be
acknowledged when their application has been received and updated, whether they have been selected for an interview or not.
For candidates who are ultimately unsuccessful, they should be advised when you have decided not to progress their application.
During this time, share this feedback politely, as there is nothing worse than getting a blasé rejection email that leaves the candidate with unanswered questions, other than no response at all.
Build steps into your recruitment process which allow for personalised feedback to candidates who you are not progressing with. Candidates appreciate that you have taken time of offer feedback, and it has potential to help them improve and move forward on their job-searching journey.
Other key aspects include offering honest, clear and concise job adverts and descriptions, detailing specifically the skills, experience and qualifications which are both required and advantageous for the role. Good adverts provide a balance of the qualities the employer is looking for in a candidate and what candidates can expect to receive from the employer.
An interview process is an opportunity for a candidate to gain an insight into what it might be like to be part of your business. Cre-
ating a positive image by greeting them in a friendly manner, making them feel welcomed and comfortable, treating them with respect, encouraging their questions and promoting career opportunities can be the difference between a candidate accepting or declining your job offer. Following the interview, whether they are successful or not, take a step further and provide them with insightful feedback which they can use to assist with future applications.
The recruitment process isn’t just an opportunity for an employer to screen potential candidates. Job seekers are measuring their experience in the process, and establishing whether your company is right for them. Asking candidates to complete a survey with regard to assessing their interview experience with you can be helpful. Feedback can help you further understand your candidate audience and how you can continuously improve to offer the best candidate experience.
Employees are an organisation’s greatest asset and taking the time to recruit the right person is absolutely a worthwhile investment. Businesses that have the best chance of recruiting the best people are those who truly understand the power of ‘customer experience’. Employers that go above and beyond in their recruitment and on-boarding efforts are far more likely to attract quality talent and see greater pay-off with retention and job satisfaction in the long-term. It’s worthwhile considering – who really are your customers? All great companies believe their customers deserve the best and candidates should be treated with the same philosophy. Set your business apart and attract the best talent – start by delivering an exceptional recruitment experience.
Talent ID are Recruitment Specialists and can support you through your recruitment process. Please feel free to talk to us about this by calling 07 349 1081 or emailing kellie@talentid.co.nz
Selling a business in today’s market can be challenging as the business landscape is constantly evolving. Here are a few tips on how to sell a business in today’s market.
Understand the current market
By staying informed about the state of the economy, consumer behaviour, and technological advancements, you’ll be able to gain a better understanding of the current market conditions. This knowledge can assist you
in identifying opportunities and potential challenges, as well as positioning your business to thrive in the current market.
Embracing technology is an important part of adapting to changing business trends. Using technology can help you reach a wider audience and make it easier for potential buyers to learn about your company. This can include implementing digital marketing strategies such as search engine optimisation (SEO). It also should include determin-
BY STEVE CATLEY
ing which social media platform (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even TikTok) is the best platform for your social media endeavours.
Be flexible
When it comes to changing business trends, adapting to a more flexible mindset is essential. This could include thinking about a range of options for how you
might sell your business and who you might sell it to. Perhaps extend your thinking to include unusual buyers like venture capitalists or private equity firms who may have different goals and expectations than traditional buyers. If you are open to different types of buyers and deals you will be able to explore a wider range of possibilities and increase your chances of finding the right buyer.
Selling a business in today’s market requires learning how to emphasise your company’s value. You can set your company apart from competitors and appeal to potential buyers by emphasising its unique value proposition, such as a large customer base, proprietary technology, or strong brand recognition.
Showcasing the potential of the company is an important step in adapting to changing business trends.
You’ll be able to demonstrate the value of your business and attract buyers who are looking for a business with a strong future and clear opportunities for further growth and expansion.
In today’s market, selling a business necessitates a strategic approach as well as a willingness to adapt to changing business trends.
Steve Catley is a Business Broker at LINK Business Brokers. He can be contacted at 021 341 117 and steve.catley@linkbusiness.co.nz
Between 15 November and 15 December, Tauranga City Council will be consulting the community on its draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan (LTP) and we’re particularly interested in hearing from the business community on some key matters.
> By ANNE TOLLEY, TAURANGA COMMISSION CHAIR
On the next two pages, you will find commentary on the draft LTP, together with details on where to obtain more information, how to make a submission and the locations and timing of LTP engagement opportunities to talk directly to Council staff or the Commissioners.
From a business perspective, it’s important that you know that this draft LTP does not signal any significant change in direction, but rather our determination to get on with the job of implementing some long-overdue investment in infrastructure and community facilities, which the community has already expressed a broad measure of support for.
Those of you who are Tauranga city ratepayers will be aware that we have made some significant changes to our rating structure since the Commission took on the Council’s governance
role in February 2021.
These aim to make our rating system fairer and bring Tauranga’s commercial rates differential and targeted transport rate more into line with those in other major centres. That has seen some fairly hefty rates increases for the busi-
rating category with a higher differential than that applying to the commercial sector generally (see the following pages for more details). This reflects the relatively high benefit that industry derives from our infrastructure (and in particular, our transport network). If the proposed industrial rate is adopted, by year four of this LTP, we would anticipate
As well as successful applications to the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund and Housing Acceleration Fund, we have also utilised the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act to contribute to the cost of transport projects (and potentially to cover the rates-
> As well as successful applications to the Government’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund and Housing Acceleration Fund, we have also utilised the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Act to contribute to the cost of transport projects (and potentially to cover the rates-funded share of Te Manawataki o Te Papa, our Civic Precinct redevelopment which will bring new life to the city centre and make it the sub-region’s culture, heritage and entertainment hub).
ness community over the last two years, although it’s worth noting that our commercial differential is still low compared with other metro councils.
In this draft LTP, we’re proposing to introduce a new industrial
achieving a constant proportional split of the general rate at 65% residential, 20% industrial and 15% commercial.
The Council has also been working on innovative new ways to fund new infrastructure.
funded share of Te Manawataki o Te Papa, our Civic Precinct redevelopment which will bring new life to the city centre and make it the sub-region’s culture, heritage and entertainment hub).
Another possible longer-term
prospect is the introduction of road pricing, both to reduce transport network congestion at peak travel times and to generate funds which would allow us to bring forward network improvements. Again, see the information overleaf to give you some background on what this could involve and what it would achieve.
The Commission is particularly appreciative of the support the business community has provided over the past two-and-a-half years, as we work to address the backlog of investment required to address the city’s housing shortfall and inadequate infrastructure. This LTP will continue that mahi and we look forward to receiving your feedback on all of the matters referred to above.
At the time of writing this, over a week since the General Election was held on 14 October, we are still no closer to knowing the final form of the next Government.
The counting of special and overseas votes may swing some of the electorate results, and the results of the by-election in Port Waikato will not be known until 25 November.
We do know though that the new government will be a coalition of National/Act and potentially NZ First. As with any negotiation, talks between the coalition partners will involve some give and take on all sides so it remains to be seen what policies survive from the campaign stage on all sides. So let’s have a quick recap of the main tax policies of the likely coalition partners.
National and NZ First both proposed to adjust the personal income tax brackets for inflation meaning anyone earning over $78,100 would benefit from a decrease in income tax of just over $1,000 a year.
Those on lower incomes would receive less direct income
BY ANDREA SCATCHARD
tax benefit from this change, but many would qualify for the additional support measures proposed by National such as FamilyBoost and changes to the Working for Families and In Work Tax credit levels – these make up the rest of the well-publicised up to $250 per fortnight benefits touted by National during the election campaign.
The 39% top personal tax rate for income over $180,000 looks set to stay under both National and NZ First policies.
Act also proposes lower tax rates, but via different means. Rather than adjusting rates for inflation, Act wants to simplify the tax system by reducing the number of tax rates from the cur-
rent five down to only three and ultimately reducing the top personal tax rate to 33% from 2026. Assuming National’s tax cuts are non-negotiable, National’s costings show the tax bracket changes taking effect from 1 April 2024. The bracket changes should also have flow-on effects on the thresholds for FBT, ESCT and RWT. Neither National nor Act have indicated that they will repeal the increase to the trust tax rate to 39% so that seems set to stay.
Residential property owners have a few things to rejoice about with the incoming government. National, Act and NZ First have all supported restoring interest deductibility for residential rental properties.
Under National’s policy this won’t happen immediately, instead being phased in between April 2024 and April 2026. The bright-line test is expected to be reduced to 2 years (by National) or removed completely (Act and NZ First).
Commercial property owners however will fare less well with the ability to claim tax depreci-
ation on commercial buildings expected to be removed from the 2024/25 tax year.
National has also pledged to remove the current ban on most foreigners buying residential property in New Zealand, for properties worth over $2m only, while at the same time introducing a 15% tax on these purchases.
Labour’s policy of removing GST from fruit and vegetables is dead in the water now, although NZ First is keen to explore an exemption for basic foods. It remains to be seen whether they have enough bargaining power to see this through the negotiation process, but as a GST specialist I hope that this does not eventuate.
Labour’s other major GST policy change was to pass the Platform Economy Bill, which would see GST charged via short-term accommodation and ride-share platforms such as AirBnB and Uber where the suppliers are not themselves GST registered. National has vowed to repeal this meaning it is unlikely to come into force on its intended implementation date of 1 April 2024.
National has proposed a childcare tax rebate of 25% for households earning less than $180,000, with the rebate percentage reducing gradually for those earning more than $140,000. The maximum rebate payable will be $75 per week. As this is to be paid through the payroll system, payroll system providers will have some work to do ahead of the 1 April 2024 implementation date if this proceeds.
Until we finally have a government formed, and legislation introduced to effect these changes, we can’t be certain of what the next 3 years holds from a tax perspective. But we can be certain that there will be a significant level of change coming. Your accountant or tax adviser will be able to help you navigate what these changes mean for you and your business.
Andrea Scatchard is a Tax Partner at Deloitte, based in the Bay of Plenty. She can be contacted on ascatchard@deloitte.co.nz
TaurangaCityCouncil’sdraft2024-34Long-term Plan(LTP)willgooutforcommunityconsultation midwaythroughNovemberandtheCouncil particularlywantstohearwhatthebusiness sectorthinksaboutsomeofitskeyelements. Thereareanumberoftopicsthatwillbeof interesttocommercialratepayers,andwewould reallyappreciateBusinessNewsreaderstaking thetimetogiveustheirthoughtsonthese.
Overview
The2024-34draftLTPcontinuesthe workstartedin2021,whichaimedto addressalegacyofunderinvestmentin theinfrastructureourgrowingcityneeds andthecommunityfacilitiesthatwill makeTaurangaagreatplaceforfuture generationstolive–aplacewecanallbe proudtocallhome.
Atthesametime,inthemidstofacostof-livingcrisisandanenvironmentwhere
higherinterestratescontinuetoincrease thecostofdeliveringmuch-needed investment,Councilhasbeenworking hardtokeepcostsandrateincreasesas lowaspossiblebydelayingordeferring someprojects;ensuringthatthecostsof runningthecityareapportionedasfairly aspossible;andfocusingongettingthe workdonetodeliverourexistingpriority projects.
Proposedindustrialrate Taurangacurrentlyhastworating categories–residentialand commercial.Thecurrentcommercial categoryincludeslandwhoseprimary useiscommercial,industrial, port, transportation,orutilities.Werecognise thatsomecommercialactivities–industrial, port,transportationandutilities–make greateruseofandhaveagreaterimpact onCouncilinfrastructure,particularlyour transportnetwork,andoncommunity wellbeingfactorssuchascongestionand pollution.
Wethinkthecreationofaseparate industrialratingcategorywouldbeafairer wayofsharingcostsacrossallratepayers. Ifitwasintroduced,thiswouldmean thatpropertiesclassifiedasindustrial wouldpayahigherproportionofthe generalrates,inrecognitionoftheimpact increasingvolumesofheavyvehiclesare havingonourinfrastructure.
Ifthisproposalgoesahead,themedian residentialratesincreaseforthe2024/25 yearwouldbe$4.21perweekratherthan $6.18perweek;themediancommercial ratesincreasewouldbe$9.85perweek
ratherthan$18.45perweek;andthe medianindustrialrateincreasewouldbe $45.49perweek,comparedto$13.32 perweekforthesepropertieswithoutthe proposedcategory.
Wewouldalsophase-inchangesso thereisaconsistentsplitofthegeneral ratesacrossresidential,commercial,and industrialsectorsby ear4ofthisLTP,to bemorealignedwithothermajorcentres, suchas amiltonCity.
Ot erwa so a in osts airer therwayswe relookingtosharethe city scostsmorefairlyincludechanges toCouncilfeesandchargesandthe introductionofanewtargetedratefor growthareas,tooffsetashortfallinour developmentcontributionsreservesfor projectsinthoseareas.
Theproposedfeesandchargesgo somewaytowardspassingontheactual costofcouncilservicesandfacilitiesto thosewhoareusingthem.Thisrecognises theimpactofin ationandotherfactors onourcosts.Thekeyactivitiesinvolved includeboatramps, sportsfields, parkingandleasefeesforcouncil-owned properties.
Councilborrowstopayforthelarge projectsthatservicenewdevelopment. Insomeinstances,wehavenotbeenable tocollectenoughthrough evelopment Contributionstopayoffthedebtfor growthprojects.Insteadofburdening allgeneralratepayerswiththedebt repayment,wethinkit sfairerthatthose whoaredirectlybenefittingfromthe growth,orwillbeinthefuture,shouldpay alittlebitmore
Toensurefuturegrowthdoespayfor growth,workisunderwaytobetterassess theeventualcostofprojectsneededto caterforthepopulationgrowthenabledby newdevelopment.
art ripvaria leroadpri in urrapidgrowth,geographyandhigh dependencyonprivatemotorvehicles comparedtoother ew ealandcities aremajorcontributorstotheroad congestionthatmakesmovingaroundthe citysomuchmoredi cult,particularlyat peaktraveltimes. ecausethere slittle scopeforincreasingthenumberoflanes onmostofourroads,wehavetolookfor othersolutions.
xperienceelsewhereintheworld hasshownthatvariableroadpricing, or martTrip,couldbepartofourtra c congestionsolution. ssentially, martTrip isasystemwhichwouldchargevehicle ownersforusingTauranga shighways,with highercostsduringpeaktraveltimesand lowercostswhendemandisless.Itsintent istoencouragepeopletothinkabouttheir road useand,wheretheycan,changetheir traveltime,workfromhome,sharetheir vehicleuse,oruseanothertransportmode likepublictransport,cyclingorwalking .It wouldalsomeanroaduserswhodon t liveinTaurangawouldbecontributing tothelocalcostoftransportnetwork improvements.
eyroadpricingbenefitsforbusiness wouldincludefasterandmorereliable journeys;provisionofanadditionalfunding sourcetobringforwardfuturenetwork improvements; andbetterproductivity andcostreductionsassociatedwith
commercialvehiclesspendinglesstime delayedbytra ccongestion.
We renotlookingforadecisionon martTripatthisstage,butwewouldlike thecommunity sfeedbackonthisconcept, sothatwecanassesswhetherweshould workwithWaka otahiand overnmenton abusinesscaseinvestigation.
ouldwe avea o unit stadiu
Communityengagementin uly2023 showedinitialsupportforaproposed communitystadiumatTauranga/Wharepai omain,especiallyfromour under-50s. Wethinktheproposedbouti uestadium couldbringsomesignificantbenefits tothesub-regionanddriveeconomic growth,butwithallofthepriorityprojects alreadyinourworkprogramme,wethink astageddeliveryapproachwouldbe re uired,whichcouldseethisprojectstart in2029/30.Thistimeframecoincideswith theneedtorenewthecurrentathletictrack facilityatthedomain.Again,we relooking forfeedbackfromtheentirecommunity tohelpusdecideifandwhenthisproject shouldgoahead.
etween ove erand e e er we ll eas in or eed a onourplan ort ene t ears erewill elotso wa stos are ourt ou ts in ludin inperson atanu ero o unit events
indout oreletstal tauran a ovt n lon ter plan
Small businesses in the Bay of Plenty and across Aotearoa New Zealand have experienced a tumultuous few years, filled with uncertainty and economic downturn.
But in the face of adversity, there’s no doubt small business owners are increasingly turning to their trusted accountants and bookkeepers for advice and support when they need it most.
Xero’s State of the industry report has revealed unique insights into the future of the accountancy and bookkeeping industry which suggests advisers do more than taxes and balance books.
To meet demand, many accountants and bookkeepers are looking to expand their services to strengthen their offering, with almost all practices now offering advisory services.
This includes supporting the implementation of software (70%), planning and budgeting (62%), and analysing business performance (62%).
With the pandemic, inflation, and rising cost of living, these past few years have been challenging for our small business economy.
Through this all, accountants and bookkeepers have played a crucial role in guiding their clients through choppy waters and uncertain times. By taking on a ‘personal trainer’ type role, they offer more than just tax compliance and planning strategy.
Accountants and bookkeepers can assist with driving new revenue, better outcomes and ultimately help foster business success as an informed advisor.
With practices expecting clients to need more support in the
future (70%), it is clear advisors will continue to be a lifeline for small businesses in the years ahead.
Practices who proactively expand their advisory offerings will be best prepared to deal with client needs moving forward.
Taking on a more advisory role has positively impacted the bottom line for many practices, with 60% seeing increased revenue over the past 12 months.
As a result, they’re in a position to better support small businesses, with many practices claiming their clients’ needs are better met, and over half reporting better client confidence and trust.
It’s important for accountants and bookkeepers to continue providing help and guidance to small businesses, as their support could be the difference between a small
On 19 October, Australian dessert brand, Sara Lee, went into voluntary administration. Many New Zealanders will know Sara Lee of course for its range of frozen cheesecakes, pies and puddings.
According to Vaughan Strawbridge, one of the voluntary administrators appointed,1 “Sara Lee is an iconic brand which produces quality Australian-made products from its manufacturing facility in Lisarow, NSW, where it employs some 200 staff. We are working with Sara Lee’s management team and staff to continue operations while we secure the future of the business.”
Sadly, Sara Lee is the latest in a series of Aussie brands (that are or may be familiar to Kiwis) to take a tumble in 2023: in February, Australian prestige clothes firm Alice McCall went into liquidation2; in late March, music and entertainment retailer Sanity shut down all 50 of its stores across Australia2; and in July, clothing, homeware and gifts retailer EziBuy went into liquidation.3 Fortunately for buyers of their
BY BEN CAIN
products, Sanity and EziBuy have at least been able to continue to trade online.
So what went wrong at Sara Lee? According to its website,4
“Sara Lee has a long history of producing delicious desserts using quality, authentic ingredients. ... Our bakers and pastry chefs create delicious desserts
and baked goods for Australians and New Zealanders every day, using traditional baker’s flour, real eggs and fresh cream”.
If Sara Lee’s desserts were so delicious, though, why have administrators been called in? Is Sara Lee just another victim of changing consumer habits in a post-pandemic world? Or, as with Tupperware, is a lack of innovation to blame? Or is it simply a case of rising costs combined with a drop in consumer expenditure on luxury items in the current cost of living crisis? We may never know.
Whatever the reason, there can be no doubt that commerce (and especially retail) has encountered some pretty rough seas of late and, while inflation remains high, the waters ahead will continue to be lumpy.
In this economic context, a business’s IP assets can take on
BY BRIDGET SNELLING
business weathering the storm or shutting up shop.
The relationship between an advisor and a small business is crucial.
Accountants and bookkeepers have the knowledge and skills to help small businesses with everything from planning and budget-
ing, to embracing technology and digital tools which help improve cash flow and productivity.
By integrating a business advisory approach into their offering, accountants and bookkeepers will be better positioned to help small businesses navigate these challenging economic times and into greener pastures.
So don’t just view your accountant and bookkeeper as a compliance and tax advisor – look at them as a lifeline and support network for your small business.
Are you looking for a Xero trusted advisor for your business? Visit www.xero.com/nz/ advisors/ to find local assistance and expertise to take your business to the next level.
Bridget Snelling is the Xero Country Manager for New Zealand
> Is Sara Lee just another victim of changing consumer habits in a post-pandemic world? Or, as with Tupperware, is a lack of innovation to blame? Or is it simply a case of rising costs combined with a drop in consumer expenditure on luxury items in the current cost of living crisis?
increasing importance since they form the foundation of a business’s success and the platform on which a business can be resurrected – even if everything else about that business has changed (or been left behind, as was the case with, for example, Cath Kidston and Jaegar in the UK5).
One need look no further than the automotive industry for examples of where iconic brand names once thought dead have risen like phoenixes to take on new lives. One that immediately comes to mind is Mini, resur-
rected by BMW in 2001. I will leave readers of this article – my last for 2023 – with one message: take care of your IP. Protect it, nurture it, and never take it for granted – one day it just might be worth something and, when that day comes, you’ll be glad you did.
Ben Cain is a Senior Associate at James & Wells. He can be contacted at 07 928 4470 (Tauranga), 07 957 5660 (Hamilton), and ben.cain@jamesandwells.com
When asking the ques-
tion, “Have you got an Information Technology Roadmap?”, we are asking how important your IT infrastructure is to your business.
We hope that as the security landscape evolves, and new threats continue to arise, that you are taking your business and your computer network seriously. Doing so can help you stay ahead of the game, and have competitive advantage from other businesses, because you have a vision and a plan to keep yourself in business, your data protected and secured, and possibly even a solution for disaster recovery.
Why have a roadmap for technology?
Having a roadmap is an ongoing strategic process that helps businesses plan and manage their IT initiatives, such as migrating
to a new cloud system, upgrading to a new enterprise software platform, or improving their IT security.
Creating a roadmap can provide several benefits:
• It helps businesses see and understand the implications of their IT plans, such as how their business operations may be affected, their cybersecurity posture, and their regulatory compliance.
• It helps businesses forecast their spend and avoid unbudgeted, unwelcome costs.
• It helps businesses communicate their IT plans to their internal stakeholders, such as an IT department, an operations department, the executive staff and board, and the people who make up that team and gain their support and alignment.
• It helps businesses keep track of their IT progress and deal with unexpected challenges or changes in a strategic way.
You would start with an overall roadmap and then fine-tune each area of that roadmap to be more granular to capture the key objectives, defining the scopes and meeting the needs and goals of the business.
Some common types of IT roadmaps are:
• Enterprise IT roadmap: This type of roadmap outlines a broad range of IT initiatives that span the entire organisation, such as integrating different systems, improving the IT infrastructure, or enhancing the IT capabilities. An enterprise IT roadmap typically covers a longer time horizon – 12-18 months, or even longer – and prioritises activities according to their strategic importance to the business.
• IT project roadmap: This type of roadmap focuses on a single, or a few, IT projects that have a specific scope and objective, such as implementing a new
software tool, training new staff, or improving a specific process. An IT project roadmap usually covers a shorter time horizon – 3 to 6 months is standard – and breaks-down the project into smaller tasks and milestones.
• IT architecture roadmap: This type of roadmap shows the technical design and structure of the IT systems and products that support the business, such as the servers, databases, networks, and applications. An IT architecture roadmap illustrates how the current and future IT architecture supports the business requirements and goals and identifies any gaps or risks that need to be addressed.
• Engineering IT roadmap: This type of roadmap describes the engineering activities and deliverables that are required to build and maintain the IT systems and products, such as coding, testing, debugging or
deploying. An engineering IT roadmap aligns an engineering team with the product vision and roadmap and defines the engineering standards and best practices. Information Technology (IT) roadmapping is an essential practice for any business that wants to leverage technology to achieve its goals and stay competitive in the market. By using a visual tool like a roadmap, businesses can plan and manage their IT initiatives more effectively and efficiently.
Keith Woodcock is an Account Manager at Stratus Blue. He can be contacted at keith@stratusblue.co.nz
What a change a quarter can make. This time last quarter new home builders’ phones were dusty and laden with cobwebs; new home loan enquiries were barely dribbling into the banks and everyone was waiting, clutching their purse strings and holding their breaths waiting to see if one group of politicians (slightly to one side of the centre line) would be replaced by another group of politicians (just slightly to the other side of the centre line). Would they romp to power with a slight numerical advantage?
Now the great momentous event has occurred and we have a new government … and what a change has been felt, ironically, without many changes being made by the aforementioned government.
Many changes are being felt in the financial sector – a friend of mine in the lending space told me that as soon as the election finished the floodgates opened with enquiries and a stampede of applicants replacing the tumble-
weeds of ‘yestermonth’.
A client I was speaking to last week handles sales for a group home builder – same story, with hundreds of serious enquiries flooding in.
These changes will be very evident when next month’s credit reports come out, and with any luck we start to see a real turnaround from the horror that has been reflected in many past reports.
I have seen a large increase in the number of people wanting to meet with me to prepare for
higher volumes of business, many taking this opportunity to update systems and processes regarding credit.
One thing being recognised is the value of immigration, be it permanent or temporary, for work or study, to our country’s economy and to our lifestyle; the conversation at nearly every meeting I have been in over the last year has at some point gravitated to the business owners inability to find and retain good staff, especially in certain industries. The cries of, “these immigrants are taking all of our jobs”, seem to have turned to, “why is there no one working?”, or, “why are the shelves empty?”
It seems strange that all of the jobs that immigrants had been “taking” remained unfilled once the majority of work and study tourists left the country? Maybe that just highlights the difference between talking about something and actually getting up off one’s buttocks to do something about it.
Now we are able to breathe a sigh of relief. We can feel hope
again that we all may not end up having to live in our cars, or in our parent’s or friend’s garages, which is of course a good thing.
But let’s not forget that as a society and an economy we are still paying for our recent past and it may take some time for the hangover of the Covid party to fade away.
So let’s look at the highlights of the latest Centrix data to see just how much Berocca we need:
• Company Closures are up 72% on last quarter – a massive 15,970 companies have closed. Even taking into account that probably a quarter of these will be holding companies, dormant entities and other non-trading companies, this still is a huge number.
• 1,875 companies have gone into liquidation, which is 40% up on last year. Speaking to a number of insolvency specialists, I feel this number may be lower than expected due to a large number of “uneconomic to liquidate” businesses that do not have enough realisable
value to warrant the tie and effort of liquidation.
• Commercial defaults are up 14% on last year, however, again, I feel this may be lower than actual as many creditors have extended their collection cycles beyond normal terms due to not wanting to appear punitive to the unfortunate. I am very glad that the commercial mood has shifted, business owners are looking forward to the future and many who were expecting the worst have been delightfully proven wrong, but until we reach the top of the hole, let’s not let our guards down. As my old boxing coach used to say, “go hard, but be careful”. Understand the risks, protect against them, and have a plan for each possible outcome.
Just a thought.
Nick Kerr is a credit management consultant with NJK Advisory and director of International Private Investigations Ltd. He can be reached on 021 876 527 and nick@nzipi.com
The “suite” spot between large office floor plates and coworking facilities are fullyfitted, turn key offices that are finding favour with SMEs.
Occupiers in the office market are actively seeking modern buildings and better amenities to help draw staff back to the office, attract talent, foster collaboration, and promote well-being.
The adoption of more compact executive suites underscores this demand as, while many large corporates are still strategising around optimal space requirements, smaller occupiers like those in the digital, advertising, creative, tech, and professional services sectors are getting on with it.
There’s strong demand around the country for turn-key solutions and building owners are responding, delivering quality spaces to the market.
Matt Lamb, Bayleys national director commercial leasing says
upscale, contemporary “executive plug and play suites” with additional communal spaces, on flexible lease terms without full management services, are highly sought after.
“Leading the way in this model are Precinct and Robert Jones Holdings (RJH), while Stride, Argosy, and Roxy have also more recently adopted similar approaches with the offerings representing a hybrid between serviced office solutions and traditional office spaces with flexible leasing arrangements, great amenity and a strong sense of community.
“These models allow businesses to right-size their office footprint in modern city buildings, with zero CAPEX, and with all-inclusive rent packages typically structured as a ‘license to
occupy’ rather than a comprehensive ATL or Deed of Lease for simplicity and flexibility.”
Bayleys Wellington office leasing specialist Luke Frecklington says fully-fitted office suites that provide a turn-key solution for smaller occupiers are proving popular in the capital with stalwart developer RJH leading the way.
“RJH is creating superior office spaces across established towers in the CBD, particularly along Lambton Quay towards parliament, and these are popular with government-aligned occupiers looking for well-positioned space.
“Other property entities are also being open-minded and would be prepared to split up
larger floors to provide compact office footprints if there were 3-4 tenants wanting to share amenities.”
Frecklington says there’s evidence landlord flexibility around lease structures for smaller offices – in some cases, a 2-year term rather than the more standard 3-5-year duration.
“Generally there’s a rental premium for smaller offices with a shorter lease term so we’re seeing some creativity emerge around tenant fitouts by tenants with some occupiers installing portable sound-proof ‘pods’ to reflect new working styles.”
Bayleys general manager South Island commercial and industrial, William Wallace says
there’s limited supply of smaller, fitted-out office suites in the Christchurch CBD and with cost escalations affecting the development sector, there’s a constrained pipeline ahead.
“The flight to quality continues around the city and there’s minimal office vacancy across all sizes of office stock, with very little for lease for those occupiers seeking smaller serviced office environments with shared amenity for more flexible work styles.”
Bayleys’ office leasing agents around the country are well-positioned to assist clients in finding practical and efficient office space and are across all major developments – so enquire today through your local broker.
The evening promoted Motion Entertainment’s position as New Zealand’s largest all-weather, action-packed indoor entertainment centre and a great venue to experience laughter, excitement, adventure, and fun all under one roof, a ‘must-do’ on a visit to Rotorua.
Photography: Michelle Cutelli Photography
ONE SEVEN
ONE FrankLiu(LoneStarRotorua),IsraelSuarezGuido(PullmanHotelRotorua). TWOAlanSolomon(ATSCoaching),JaneJennings(RotoruaBusinessChamber). THREE DebWootton(HPCE),Daniela Olphert(HPCE). FOURHamishHoward(EbbettRotorua),SherylHoward(EbbettRotorua). FIVEKevinMiniter(ConsiderIT),RajaPatel(ConsiderIT). SIXAnneMcCarrison(BayDecorators),Don McCarrison(BayDecorators). SEVENAaronJamieson(BOPPlumbing&Gas),SarahJamieson(BOPPlumbing&Gas). EIGHTFionaWithers(PrintDesign),MichelleCutelli(MichelleCutelliPhotography), VivienCooper(B&BatTheRedwoods). NINE Keri Daniel, Diane Daniel. TENAngeliqueScott(PersonnelResources),EmmaHenderson(PersonnelResources). ELEVENBryceHeard(RotoruaBusiness Chamber),CharlieWindell(RotoruaBusinessChamber).
Most people find it challenging enough to build a career while raising a family, without ever contemplating also leading a crusade to help the community’s most disadvantaged. But Bernice Breckon is not most people.
> By ALAN NEBEN
Don’t be fooled by the cheeky smile and the infectious laugh – this lady doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. When she identified a ‘cavernous hole’ in her Tauranga community’s health and education programmes, Bernice couldn’t sit on her hands and look the other way.
“I saw first-hand young people falling through gaps in our society. It was – it is – a tragedy. And the more I learned, the more tragic and devastating it seemed.
“But it doesn’t need to be that way –we can be part of a change to help our young, the rangatahi of our nation, to not only survive, but ultimately thrive; we just need the will, the knowledge and the support. When there’s a need, I have to respond. I’m not one to do things by halves or to shy away when the going gets tough.”
She is of Ngāti Whawhakia and Mahanga descent from Waikato Tainui but was brought up in the small town of Tūrangi.
This is a person who as a mother of five and a grandmother of two knows about hardship and disadvantage; yet this is also a person who at the age of 41 decided she wanted to join the glitterati and become a Hollywood actress and screenwriter – so she did. Doubt those credentials? Fact-check IMDB: yes, she’s there alright.
It was Bernice’s personal experience of (literally) life and death challenges confronting her and her whānau which shocked her into action.
“Although I was on a trajectory of high achievement – ‘success’ – I realised our kids, our rangitahi, were increasingly misunderstood, misdiagnosed and, as a result, tragically under-achieving; while
my achievements were being branded successes, the young people I was seeing at home in New Zealand were being branded as ‘failures’ and ‘problems’.”
In 2020 she started a company to work with Oranga Tamariki (OT) providing care and protection for kids with extreme highly complex behaviours, disabilities and neurodiversity. Her organisation, Te Rotonga Poumanaaki (TRP) supported kids in need, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in hotel rooms provided by OT.
By 2021 she began working with the Ministry of Education’s Intensive Wraparound Service supporting rangatahi with mentoring. By the end of the that year they were supporting young people referred by the Tauranga DHB and disability services.
“Now the door had opened, we could see a tsunami was heading in our direction,” she recalls.
“By mid-2022 we were focusing on rangatahi who were disengaged and
finding it difficult to learn in a neurotypical environment; this group was often excluded from mainstream schools because of their behaviour. Often this indicated potential trauma, diagnosed or undiagnosed conditions, criminal offending (or at risk of criminal offending), anti-social behaviours with peers, lack of positive community interaction
> When there’s a need, I have to respond … and I’m not one to do things by halves or to shy away when the going gets tough.”
and a tremendously distorted view of the school environment and all it represents; rangatahi in this space are operating in flight, fright, fight and or flock mode –what I call survival/defensive mode.”
At TRP’s one-year anniversary Bernice presented The Gap – an approach to learning called Neurodiverse Individualised Learning (NIL). NIL is designed to
assist professionals, schools and whānau to understand challenging behaviours and call for help.
“We decided to pilot this concept in an alternative education space, Baypathways. During our pilot we encountered rangatahi disengaged from their work who had decided their only pathway was jail and a life on ‘the benefit’.
“They shared nothing of their dreams or aspirations, only that they were tough/ hard and how drugs, alcohol and crime were all they wanted to do.
“Each session we were able to identify what worked and what didn’t. We discovered early on they were not interested in schoolwork, so we opted to focus them on ‘themselves’, their wellbeing and to understand who they are, how they think, why they think that way and acknowledgement that it’s okay to think differently from others.”
Te Rotonga Poumanaaki turned a corner when they found rangatahi engaging and participating. Focus switched to empowering them to navigate anything in their lives – and so the Whanaketanga Programme was born.
> … we need our kids funded, schools to support them if they are still enrolled, and if rangatahi are excluded from school … we need the ministry to fund a full-time experienced teacher who knows how to work with our ‘Gap’ rangatahi …”
“I knew we had a programme that could successfully benefit rangatahi in ‘The Gap’ space. It was time to move the business office out of my home. We found a space that could hold up to 30 to execute Whanaketanga, mentoring support services and educational support,” Bernice says with a sigh of relief.
“I also wanted a space for my film production company, iFlow Productions,” she admits.
With limited to no funding, Bernice invested her savings (and funds from supportive whānau) to lease the old Radio NZ School premises in Grey St, Tauranga.
At that stage they were working with Tauranga City Council which was then looking for hub spaces for rangatahi in the CBD area.
In April 2023 TRP was approached by Tauranga Attendance Services who had heard about their programmes and mentoring services.
This led to strengthening the partnership with the Ministry of Education and building positive relationships with schools in Tauranga.
They have had more than 30 young people referred to their space.
“What do we need?” Bernice is very
direct: “In our space we need our kids funded, schools to support them if they are still enrolled, and if rangatahi are excluded from school (they do not have a managing school), then we need the ministry to fund an experienced teacher who knows how to work with our Gap kids.”
TRP are also currently working on a project supported by the Mental Health Foundation called Whakamutua Atu –Cut it Out.
It is a campaign for youth around stopping stigma and discrimination against those who suffer mental health issues. The online web series of up to five 10-minute episodes, includes interviews with Christchurch rapper and youth advocate King Cass, and plans include interviews with world-famous Sevens coach, Sir Gordon Tietjens, local MP Sam Uffindell and musician Tiki Taane.
In 2023 Bernice and her team decided to purchase a cafe so they could have a real business space in which to teach rangatahi about every aspect of running a business – in real-time.
“A cafe seemed like a great business model for providing a range of core business disciplines. But more importantly, it provides a setting for community interactions with people from all walks of life. This setting allows us to teach our rangatahi to interact with community in a positive way.”
It is a place where the young people can gain work experience and also learn life skills by cooking meals for the class.
In typical, matter-of-fact Bernice Breckon-fashion she adds, “We were working with Tauranga City Council with this concept, but it didn’t eventuate, so I purchased the cafe myself to make sure it happened.”
Despite her crusade to improve the prospects and outlook for the community’s young, Bernice admits her passion is still film and TV. She is an accomplished actor, filmmaker, producer and editor.
> My main focus is to build the fi lming industry in Tauranga Moana, to encourage productions to come here. We have so many amazing practitioners living here – it’s logical to build the industry here.”
After returning home to Sydney from Los Angeles in 2018 she decided to write a TV series based in NZ. So, coming back to NZ in 2021 to start Te Ratonga Poumanaaki Ltd, she says it just made sense to setup a production company in Tauranga.
“My main focus is to build the filming industry in Tauranga Moana, to encourage productions to come here. We have so many amazing practitioners living here – it’s logical to build the industry here. I’m connected with Film BOP which focuses on attracting producers to the Bay of Plenty. We offer workshops to support our industry practitioners and up-andcomers. This includes screen writers, ‘Women in Film’, all guild members and anyone interested in any aspect of film.
“Our Grey Street space also houses Bay of Plenty Actors Studio (BOPAS), an acting school with classes attended by approximately 140 rangatahi and adults.”
Owner Tanya Horo (who also happens to be Bernice’s acting agent), runs the only local acting agency in Tauranga. Bernice is always looking for opportunities for the actors on their books for local auditions and work.
Bernice has been working with wellknown international industry identity Bryan Norton from Living Pictures Ltd. Last year they developed the Kiriata A-Z Filmmaking Program where he will teach industry skills. “We hope to expose interested youth to all aspects of the film industry. At the end of the course they may wish to continue on to work experience on one of TRPs productions.”
Bryan has worked on a few projects for TRP including filming for a documentary with many of TRP’s otherwise disengaged rangatahi in an alternate education space. They also shot a short film The Little Ghost as part of BOPAS Camp 2023.
IFlow Productions is about to embark on a new TV show (or rather revive an old show), that will see the crew travelling through all the towns of NZ.
Finally, a project in development at the minute is IDK Dairies, a TV series shot at IDK Cafe. The story is premised around two middle-aged, ‘dysfunctional’ ladies who inherit a cafe from their carer/mother and how they navigate their lives and running the café … watch this space.
Could she do everything by herself? “My husband, John has had to put with me and my adventures – there have been many,” she says with a laugh. “He’s extremely patient and I couldn’t have got here without his support and that of our tamariki and moko.”
“Oh, I should also mention TPR’s new IT & Telco service, we are now an internet service provider. We launch November 10th, 2023.”
BBN’s guide to new people and new roles across business in the Bay To feature in New Appointments email us at new.appointments@bopbusinessnews.co.nz
Quayside Holdings Ltd announces the appointment of Dr Warren Parker to the role of independent Chair, effective 1 November 2023. Dr Parker has been an Independent Director on Quayside’s Board since 2015 and has held various governance positions, including Chair of Pāmu, Chair of FarmIQ Systems Ltd, Director of Farmland Cooperative Trading Society and Chair of Forestry Ministerial Advisory Group.
Sir Robert McLeod, Quayside’s outgoing Chair, said, “We are delighted that Dr Parker will succeed me in the role of Chair.
Dr. Parker’s leadership, strategic thinking and clarity of purpose will steer Quayside into its next stage of growth.”
Holland Beckett Law has promoted Abigail Pearce to the role of Associate.
Abigail began her career in Auckland litigation firms, before joining the litigation team at Holland Beckett Law in 2020.
Abigail specialises in family and employment matters and has been involved in many of the firm’s significant cases in these areas. She holds a Master of Laws from the College of Law specialising in Family Law, she also has specialist medicolegal knowledge.
Abigail is proud to be able to give back to her local community through her pro bono work with the Baywide and Tautoko Mai legal clinics.
Wave Agency introduces Aimee, our new General Manager, who originally joined us as Operations Manager in 2022.
Aimee’s expertise in seamless operations steers our ship smoothly, and we’re thrilled to have her at the helm guiding the way for Wave. She shares, “Transitioning from the construction to the creative industry is an exciting challenge.
I look forward to leading and supporting Wave’s talented team, building on their successful journey.
“I thrive on challenges and I’m never short of one; with my new role, developing a new love for golf, riding my new motorbike, and guiding my teenage sons, I love it all!”
Holland Beckett Law has promoted Alex Elder to Associate. Alex started his career at Holland Beckett Law in 2016 and the promotion comes after seven successful years at the firm.
Alex is an integral member of the Property and Commercial Team, specialising in a wide range of property and commercial matters with a particular emphasis on small to medium sized business and commercial property transactions.
prominent charita-
Alex prides himself on being able to provide pragmatic advice to his diverse client base. Alex gives back to the Tauranga community by serving as a trustee on two ble trusts.
The House of Science Board has announced the ment of Jen Scoular as a new director and Chair Board. Jen recently completed 12 years as CEO Avocado, following a diplomatic posting as Consul General and Trade Commissioner in burg Germany and 9 years at Zespri. Her career was in merchant banking in London.
Outgoing Chair Maria Livingstone says it is great to get someone Jen’s calibre and experience on board, support the continued growth.
Maria stays on as Treasurer, strongly endorsing the opportunity House of Science has to impact kids, providing fun, practical and exciting ways to enhance their learning.
Deciding what to do when you’ve left school can be an overwhelming prospect for some rangatahi.
They want to be doing something they’re passionate about, so finding that stepping stone into a career or training can be tricky. But the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs (MTFJ) is helping young people aged 16-25 find their feet with work and education opportunities.
The programme is a successful partnership of mayors from around the country, working together with central government and the Ministry of Social Development – who have invested $14 million for rural communities this financial year.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s version of the programme focuses on helping youth in Te Puke and Maketu, where there is a gap for such support.
To achieve this, Council joined forces with COLAB – a group of social sector organisations based in Te Puke – to facilitate the pilot, with Davina Edwards appointed as the programme coordinator.
Davina’s main mahi is identifying local barriers to employment and devel-
oping and implementing strategies to overcome them.
Former Te Puke High School student, 18-year-old Aidan McGettigan is one of the pilot programme’s success stories. After leaving school earlier this year he connected with Davina and the MTFJ with the ultimate goal of becoming a mechanic. Through the programme, Davina assisted Aidan with purchasing tools and safety equipment that was required for his work.
“I was offered an automotive apprenticeship with J&S Automotive after doing some work experience with them through my school’s gateway programme. I wanted to do something I’m passionate about, and that’s to be a mechanic,” says Aidan.
Aidan’s boss, J&S Automotive Te Puke owner Jeremy Norman says Aidan has a really good work ethic and attitude for the job. “He’s so keen to learn everything and it’s been great to see him grow in confidence and develop his skills over the year. It’s awesome that there are local programmes out there [like the MTFJ] that help our young people into jobs, as well as helping employers connect with
young people,” says Jeremy.
Aidan is one of 10 Te Puke and Maketu rangatahi placed into sustainable (90 plus days) employment during the successful six-month pilot programme.
Davina is thrilled that rangatahi like Aidan are working towards achieving their career goals through the MTFJ.
“Over the past eight months we’ve built trusting relationships with key organisations to support our employment programme, as well as connecting with local rangatahi, whānau and the wider community,” says Davina.
“The partnership between Council, COLAB and the Ministry of Social Development, showcases a powerful commitment to transforming lives and communities through sustainable employment.
MTFJprogrammecoordinatorDavina Edwards(R)withWesternBayofPlenty DistrictCouncilMayorJamesDenyer(L) at the MTFJ roadshow.
Being part of the pilot programme has been a learning experience for us all; and as the programme gets further embedded, I envisage it will lead to more great outcomes for youth in the Te Puke area.
Council has secured a further $252,000 of funding from central government to boost to its Mayors Taskforce for Jobs Rural Community Resilience Programme.
Western Bay Mayor James Denyer says securing an extra two years of funding shows the success of the programme.
“Hearing about Aidan’s achievements with his apprenticeship and other rangatahi that have found work and education opportunities is the reason why I’m eager to continue my support for the programme over the next two years,” says Mayor James. “It has been a pleasure to support the MTFJ at various events this year, like the Matariki celebration, and the MTFJ roadshow bus.
Only people of certain age will probably recognise the song reference in that headline – nerds like me will argue over whether it was penned and sung by the Beatles or George Harrison, our IP columnist Ben Cain will likely warn me to ‘exercise extreme caution’ when messing with an iconic song lyric possibly owned by Apple Corp, and younger viewers will simply just shrug and say, “That’s a stupid headline.”
But the essence of those lyrics resonated for me this week. I was on the number five bus* in Mount Maunganui’s main street on Monday afternoon when I realised something had changed – the sun was shining (and perhaps more importantly, the rain wasn’t … raining, and the wind wasn’t winding) and there was a mood on the street that said: “Here comes the sun, and I say … it’s alright.”
Although the sun was indeed shining, and moods seemed generally ‘up’, the game-changer was actually seeing cruise ship passengers again filling the footpaths and stores along the length of the main street – the first cruise ship of the season had arrived, and with it came sunshine and optimism.
To those who mutter under their breaths (and, cringingly, sometimes out loud), “Damn tourists”, I say, “Get over yourself you grumpy, small-minded so-and-so.”
I may be in a minority, but I don’t care: I love to see overseas tourists sharing our spaces; I love hearing foreign languages and strong accents on the streets and in the shops; I enjoy seeing the look of confused joy on people’s faces when they realise they don’t need to leave a tip, yet choosing to still do so; I love to see young people from France and Brazil doing the seasonal work for which there are not enough locals to cope; I smile when I come across groups of Spanish twenty-somethings enjoying the sunset and a few beers on the beach together (liquor bans not withstanding of course).
Remember, they are all spending money here, they are enriching the cultural landscape, they are opening our eyes to the richness of diversity and difference, and they are doing what so many of us have done in our youth – traveling abroad and enjoying the riches of other cultures, histories and lifestyles … often on a budget.
Although the focus of the government and the tourism sector has been on capturing the spend of the highvalue international tourist, while simultaneously discouraging the youthful ‘backpacker’ market, I say, ‘let’s welcome them all.’
With all due respect, I don’t want New Zealander’s cultural interactions with non-New Zealanders to be confined to serving rich Americans in the VIP lounge at the airport and providing smorgasbords to busloads of tourists from China.
I want to see the kids from Germany bungy jumping, young Irish people working behind the bar, Aussie larrik-
BY ALAN NEBEN
ins teaching my kids to snowboard and American teens raving about their Kiwi experience on TikTok.
These interactions are good for us. If we pride ourselves on our multi-cultural openness and acceptance, then let’s not in the next breath criticise the couple at the next table for speaking Spanish or make an off joke about the Nigerian neighbour not needing sunblock – let’s grow up and be more worldly; remember, it was not that many years ago the cool kids mocked the German backpackers for wearing Birkenstocks – now look at the cool kids feet and see who’s laughing.
To kick-off, here are two suggestions we could consider adopting to help change the bad reputation New Zealander’s have built for cultural dick-headedness:
1. Let’s not continue to make the same snide comment about the under-arm incident every time we meet someone with an Aussie accent – they really don’t even care about it, it was over 40 years ago, you’re being like the friend who always wants to remind you about the time you threw-up at the twenty first party, and it just makes you look like a stupid hick – please be more sophisticated New Zealand.
2. If you don’t want the tourists crapping under trees, don’t give them the binary choice of either staying at the Sheraton or not coming to New Zealand at all – just provide more toilets. And maybe consider extending the hand of Kiwi friendship even further by stocking them with free multi-ply toilet paper – you might be surprised, the kids in the camper van who flew internationally without defecating in the airplane aisle just might consider using them.
Au revoir, auf Wiedersehen, ciao, adiós, see ya lader.
BTW, Here Comes the Sun was written by George Harrison and was featured on the Beatles’ album Abbey Road in 1969. And for the uber nerds: he wrote the song while spending the day at Eric Clapton’s house.
*And yes, I am still persevering with public transport and loving it.
Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced New Zealand publisher. His columns provide a light-hearted perspective on social changes effecting New Zealanders.
If you missed the spectacular sight of the first cruise ships of the season arriving and departing from Tauranga Harbour recently, don’t worry – there’s plenty more on the way!
Cruise ships have always been a core component of the summer vibe at Mount Maunganui and across the Coastal Bay of Plenty. The Port of Tauranga is a popular stop on many global voyage itineraries, which means passengers of all nationalities will be regularly disembarking from a variety of vessels over the next few months to explore near and far.
Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Oscar Nathan says it’s been rewarding seeing residents and businesses getting excited about the return of cruise ships and their passengers this season.
“Absence definitely made the heart grow fonder while our international border was closed for a few years, due to Covid. The flow of nationalities and the different accents that we hear each time these ships dock essentially disappeared during that time.”
“The return of cruise is a real invigorator for our region and the way that these passengers and crew explore while they’re onshore, even though it’s only for a short time – it generates essential revenue for a whole range of interconnected visitor sector businesses,” he says.
The most recent national data shows that retailers reap the biggest benefit from onshore cruise visitor spending, followed by food and beverage providers, arts and recreation operators, and travel and tour services.
“Some cruise passengers will organise their onshore excursions well before their ship docks here and will get straight onto a tour bus, but others like to be more spontaneous and are keen to consider all the options once they arrive,” Nathan says.
“That’s why our pop-up iPORT visitor centre, volunteer ambassadors, and local tour operators add so much value. It’s their job to ensure these disembarking passengers make the best of their time
while they’re here – whether they want to experience nearby shops and attractions or if they want to head further afield.”
Recent changes to national data policies have made it difficult to calculate the economic contribution cruise made to the region last season, as well as the figures we can expect this season.
However, previous data shows cruise contributed $74 million to the Coastal Bay of Plenty economy during the 2019/2020 season, which was interrupted by Covid restrictions. The season before that (2018/19) saw cruise contribute more than $89 million to our local economy.
“We’re expecting the 2023/24 season will bring approximately 112 cruise ships and 290,000 passengers and crew into our region,” says Nathan. “This won’t be a record number, but it will be very close. Cruise is enjoying an unprecedented resurgence around the world, now that all the borders are open, and New Zealand is right up there as a top destination.”
Tourism Bay of Plenty does a lot of capability building with tour operators before each season starts, to ensure they each meet New Zealand’s stringent Qualmark standards to enable them to service cruise passengers.
“The Coastal Bay of Plenty region offers a variety of excellent eco-tours, foodie options, and Māori cultural experiences, which are all popular with cruise passengers,” Nathan says.
Those who can’t get on board to experience one of these magnificent vessels can still be part of the adventure by heading to Pilot Bay | Waikorire to farewell the ships as they depart.
“I’d invite people to check the cruise schedule on our website and plan accordingly,” says Nathan.
“These farewells are a local tradition and they’re a big hit with the departing cruise ship passengers too.”
See bayofplentynz.com/cruise
Enjoy a night out to remember this summer season with Trinity Wharf’s Dinner and Harbour Cruise!
Trinity Wharf, nestled in the heart of Tauranga, New Zealand, is a luxurious waterfront destination renowned for its stunning views and exquisite dining experiences.
Among its standout offerings is the Dinner and Sunset Harbour Cruise, an unforgettable excursion that combines gourmet cuisine with breathtaking scenery.
The tranquil surroundings and contemporary design of the hotel serves as a perfect complement to the natural beauty of Tauranga.
Guests are greeted in the elegant, light-filled Trinity Wharf lounge with a welcome drink. Followed by a delicious buffet menu featuring miso glazed salmon, slow-cooked beef sirloin with chimichurri and lemon panna cotta with macadamia crunch. Before being whisked away by The Bay Explorer from Trinity Wharf’s very own pontoon.
The intimate atmosphere of the cruise allows guests to connect with the natural beauty of the region. The changing hues of the sunset paint a mesmeris-
ing backdrop for the evening, creating an ambience that is both romantic and awe-inspiring.
The Trinity Wharf Dinner and Sunset Harbour Cruise is ideal for a variety of occasions. Whether it be a romantic date night, a celebration with friends and
family, or a special event, this experience caters to all. The cruise’s serene setting and impeccable service make it a popular choice for girls’ nights, anniversaries, and corporate events.
With its delectable cuisine, captivating scenery, and attentive service, it
promises an evening that will be cherished for years to come. It’s an opportunity to savour the beauty of New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty in a way that leaves a lasting impression on every guest fortunate enough to partake in this extraordinary journey.
» TheVillageisanewmixed-use developmentintheheartofOmokoroa intheBayofPlenty.
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100to550m2 designatedfor 97HamuranaRoad, AndrewVincent aGPandmedicaltenants Omokoroa,BayofPlenty 0210598365|andrewv@fosters.co.nz