NZCB InHouse Magazine April/May 2022

The official magazine of New Zealand Certified Builders Association

Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee Workshops Pg 9

Seven features of a successful building company Pg 30

The importance of reporting near misses and incidents Pg 48

April/May 2022

NZCB Conference and Expo 2022

17th–19th November Pages 34–37

NZCB MEMBERS

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Contents HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLNESS

FROM NZCB Message from the NZCB Board

2

Notice of NZCB Annual General Meeting Message from our Chief Executive Revere Volume Five out now!

Message from our Education and Technical Manager Thank you, Dave Why you should use a Halo Guarantee NZCB Regional AGMs and Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee Workshops Hybrid contracts Risk and insurance for builders The best made plans for your business Farewell to an exceptional leader!

Goodbye, good luck and welcome!

Putting our partners in the spotlight NZCB Conference and Expo 2022 NZCB Affinity Partners NZCB National Partners

3 4 4 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 20 21 34 68 69

IN THE KNOW COVID bounce back and the challenges in ’22 Always be on the money with tech Recapping the NZ Building Code H1 Window updates Big Building Code changes see builders up-skilling Seven features of a successful building company What is a Caveat and how can it help you get paid?

Restraints of Trade eInvoicing could be your biggest win in 2022 Kiwi return to world rallying

Thanks to our NZCB Strategic Partners

22 24 26 28 30 38 40 42 44

Finding happiness The importance of reporting near misses and incidents Three ways to a pain free career

46 48 50

AROUND THE REGIONS Christchurch’s Willowbank family day out NZCB members suit-up for Scooter Safari Events Calendar

52 52 54

NEXT GENERATION Message from the AST Trust ITAB Apprentice Completions Mitre 10 Trade launches SmartMate Cash for ITAB Apprentices NZCB Apprentice Challenge 2022

55 56 57 58

TECH TIPS Colour keeper The importance of end sealing timber cladding and decking Installing cavity sliders in tiled areas

59 60 62

NEWS BITES

64

IN THE MEDIA

66

Find NZCB on

Contact: 10 Marsh Street, Tauranga 3110 PO Box 13405, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141 Phone: 07 927 7720 Freephone: 0800 CERTIFIED Fax: 07 927 7721 www.nzcb.nz Print ISSN 2463-3305 Online ISSN 2703-2418

InHouse is the official bi-monthly magazine of New Zealand Certified Builders Association. We’re always on the lookout for interesting stories or build projects that NZCB members have been a part of! To share your story with us please contact Linda. Alternatively, if you are interested in advertising in the InHouse magazine, we have a range of opportunities available to suit every budget.

Linda Moody INHOUSE EDITOR linda@nzcb.nz | 07 557 9214

FROM NZCB —

Mike Craig NZCB Board Member Director

What’s happened to our industry?

As a builder of 40 years, I am finding this year to be one of the most challenging of my career to date.

No one has the answer to solve the building supply shortages the construction industry is facing, rather just reasons as to why we have arrived in this situation.

Personally, I think the shortages will be around for a while, perhaps until the global supply chain has a chance to recover, and COVID-19 becomes under more control.

So, what do we do to survive the crisis builders are finding themselves in?

I haven’t got all the solutions, but what I can do is share with you what I intend to do with my own business and offer you some insights that might assist you with your business decisions.

I have decided to slow my workload down and spread the work out more. I intend to keep multiple jobs going, so when the materials come in, I have the flexibility to move my employees between jobs.

I would recommend having serious conversations with your clients upfront about the realistic timeframe for jobs.

For instance, now it will not take six months, but maybe 12 months for a new home to be completed. Up-front conversations will help limit any frustrations your clients may have with project delays.

Put in a contingency above what you would normally use to help your client and yourself to keep within your price estimate.

If the contingency is not used, great, happy client. Due to your forward planning, you may even receive a great reference from your client, which could lead to a new project. On the flip side, update your client on the increases to the project, if any, to keep communication channels running smoothly.

Inform your client about procurement, as you may need to pay for product before you start a build. It’s also important that your client knows what has been paid for is secure.

Ask your client to talk to their mortgage lenders, as they will also need to work as part of the build team if money is needed. It’s not the builder’s responsibility to fund for early procurement.

Get started early on the individualised choices clients will need on their new home for example; choosing the colours, carpets, bathroom and kitchen amenities. Making these decisions prior to build commencement, will not only assist in keeping your clients engaged until you can start the job, but will save time when building begins.

In my business, I have also pushed starting jobs out to six months from the signing of the contract, to give my business more time to procure the required building products.

Alongside open communication channels, forward planning is needed. If you have capacity, increase the time dedicated towards your project management. For my business, the time I’ve dedicated to project management has increased well above what it normally was pre-COVID, due to the extra follow-up communications with suppliers required about the status of material and supply orders.

Additionally, allow for increases in your charge out rates, as we now have an extra public holiday, and extra sick leave entitlements of five days to consider. When working out costs, think about lost hours from your employees not being productive, as this is also considered a lost income over a year.

Clients Give your clients more information when presenting your pricing estimate. I have found an honest breakdown of pricing works will give your client confidence in the budget and your ability to deliver. It also gives clients more accurate referencing when you bill them.

2

Additional tips Talk to your sub-contractors about ways to keep ahead of price increases.

Extend Contract Works Insurance out well ahead of your expected finish date, as it will work out cheaper than continually extending it past the finish date.

Plan your sites so scaffolding is not sitting around unused.

It has been hard to get answers on delivery dates from sales reps and suppliers, as the whole system has been overwhelmed with inquires. It seems no response from suppliers is more common than not due to the uncertainty of the situation.

Going forward, I would like to see suppliers work to generate better solutions for communicating matters of supply.

For instance, Winstone Wallboards have adapted their approach to GIB shortages, in the hope to achieve more fairness for customers.

In the meantime, all we can do is be resilient – all the best out there.

Ian Chamberlain NZCB Board Chairperson

Notice of NZCB Annual General Meeting

tified Builders General Meeting of New Zealand Cer Notice is hereby given that the Annual cing at 6:00pm, on Thursday 16th June 2022, commen Association Incorporated will be held online via Zoom.

Agenda 1 Welcome and Apologies eting, 11th June 2021 2 Minutes from last Annual General Me 3 Chairperson’s Report 4 Chief Executive’s Report l Report for the year 2021 5 Presentation of the Annual Financia B Board 6 Announcement of Directors of the NZC 7 General Business (see below)

members the Board requests that all items which Following the format of previous years, eral Meeting, Gen ual eral Business Section of the Ann may wish to be discussed during the Gen research to Meeting. This will allow suff icient time be submitted prior to the Annual General raised, cs the responses from the Board to the topi these questions, thus making sure that ner. are provided in a full and efficient man uld logies and advice of any proxy votes sho Any items for discussion, meeting apo Zealand New to 2 202 e pm on Thursday 9th Jun be submitted by email no later than 5:00 . b.nz nzc lain@ Ian Chamberlain at ian.chamber Certified Builders Board Chairperson,

IAN CHAMBERLAIN rd Chairperson New Zealand Certified Builders Boa

bers’ only Annual General the New Zealand Certified Builders mem to ss acce gain to ter regis T MUS You NOTE: ort, full Financial Statements and and Certified Builders 2021 Annual Rep Meeting, online, via Zoom. The New Zeal nce’ section on the New Zealand are available under the ‘AGM & Confere a link to register for the Zoom meeting, : https://www.nzcb.nz/members/agm/.

Certified Builders members’ only Toolshed

3

FROM NZCB —

Grant Florence Chief Executive

See you on the other side…

Before I joined the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ), as it was known back then, I knew it as an Association that was a good idea, which had some potential, but would probably never get out of having a presence in the Bay of Plenty.

That was several years ago now and as I near the end of my journey with the New Zealand Certified Builders Association (NZCB), it is interesting to look back at that point of view and compare it to where NZCB is today… many changes!

This is constantly reinforced to me when I have the privilege of meeting regularly with the NZCB Presidents to be part of their wisdom, understanding of the building industry and yes, a good dose of humorous banter.

As with any change and growth, an organisation or leader cannot do that without the support of others. It’s in that vein, I have to give a massive thanks to my staff over the years – all who have trusted my ramblings on change and growth and have become disciples on supporting me in making these things happen. I salute you all, you have made my time with NZCB a rich, enjoyable, and satisfying part of my working career.

The support of our partners, sponsors, suppliers, and other stakeholders has been unequalled and I thank you.

My peers in associations, both in New Zealand and overseas, often say being a leader of a membership organisation is a ‘tough gig’. There are times that I have had to agree with them, but when you are leading an Association such as NZCB it’s not really a ‘tough gig’. Having the support and encouragement of members such as those who are part of the NZCB world, make it exciting, challenging and ultimately enjoyable.

It has been a journey, and one which I hope will leave the Association in a slightly better place than when I became part of the team in 2011.

Over the years, I have enjoyed following Jack Welch who was the inspirational Chief Executive of General Electric for 20 years in the late 1990’s. Jack had a very wise saying and one which I ascribed to. It was simply “change before you have to”.

I sincerely hope that NZCB will continue to evolve, change, and grow over the years ahead.

All the best and thanks.

See you on the other side.

REVERE Volume Five out now!

Julie Thomas Revere Magazine Editor & Project Coordinator

REVERE, a unique New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) publication which showcases the craftsmanship, work ethic, and quality of some of the industry’s best NZCB builder members.

Published bi-annually, REVERE is a great sales tool with over 10,000 copies distributed nationwide to members and NZCB partners along with our external target audience, the homeowner. The distribution list also includes architects, designers, lawyers, accountants, and other places our target market may frequent.

In addition, REVERE can be viewed electronically on Houzz NZ, a website reaching over 200,000 people in New Zealand made up of an affluent educated audience who are either actively renovating or building. Our build projects can also be found on Issuu, another well-known website drawing our homeowner target audience.

6

Built by Atrium Homes Limited

REVERE

7

Fan-tastic result Tauranga | Bay of Plenty

The journey to building this unconventional Bay of Plenty home was paved with cedar, schist, and curved, laminated beams. Three distinctive roof planes overlap to form three fans, creating bends and interesting angles throughout the house.

Builder Allan Shaw of Atrium Homes says you will not find a right angle anywhere but the garages.

“There are cavity sliders sitting in a curved wall, which is amazing. The wooden support beams were up to 21 metres long. We made it work through multiple calculations and careful planning.”

“It is a home of exceptional design and quality. We cannot believe our good luck.”

Solid oak parquet flooring throughout the open plan layout, with radial inlays to accentuate the curved floor-plate, exemplify the quality of materials and craftsmanship of the home.

At 375m², the home is big enough to entertain guests while providing a homely atmosphere for its owners. Allan says it is immediately welcoming.

“You open the door and look straight through the hall and living spaces and out to the view. The water is just 50 metres from the house.”

Keith and Brenda can now relax and enjoy what Allan’s team has masterfully created from Kelvin’s design.

“We love the place,” says Keith. “When we wake in the morning and open the curtains to a huge, sweeping view of the Tauranga Harbour, we get a real sense of ‘wow’. It is a home of exceptional design and quality.

We cannot believe our good luck.”

NZCB Member

⁄ Allan Shaw

allan@atriumhomes.co.nz

Homeowners Keith and Brenda enlisted architect Kelvin Peck to design a modern home that capitalised on its perch above the shimmering waters of Tauranga Harbour.

Kelvin says the clients sought an interesting roof-form that would extend to the interior. “They wanted to make the most of the site because it is a beautiful location.”

The intricate design work and precise execution involved have paid off handsomely. The roof is angled to let sunlight and full moon reflections into the internal spaces of the house, creating elements of surprise and delight. The spectacular cantilevered fan over the deck provides shade in the summer, but warming sunshine floods the deck in winter, allowing the owners to enjoy year-round indoor/outdoor living.

If you did not receive a copy of REVERE Volume Five, or you are a NZCB member interested in showcasing a project in a future issue of REVERE magazine, please contact Julie Thomas at the NZCB National Support Office on: 07 557 9213 or julie@nzcb.nz – we look forward to hearing from you!

4

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FROM NZCB —

Are you getting paid on time?

In the perfect world, you present a payment claim for the completed period or the stage of the works, and the client pays it no questions asked… however, this is not always the case. Builders are finding themselves, with more frequency, having to chase these payments owed to them, which they are rightfully entitled to.

So why is it that clients think it is okay to withhold these payments? From my experiences of dealing with builders and clients when there is a default in payment, there are many different reasons, some include: • Defective work • Price variances • Delays • Workmanship concerns • Lack of detail in the payment claim • Poor reforming clients For whatever reason, if you don’t cut corners and ensure to dot your I’s and cross your t’s from the beginning to the end, you will mitigate having to deal with most of these reasons. So, what does “dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s” look like?

1. First and foremost you must have a building contract in place, preferably a New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Building Contract.

• A building contract identifies what payment claim arrangement you will be using; designated (defined stage payment claims) or periodic payment claims (fortnightly or monthly).

• The building contract identifies the time frame length the client has before making payment, after receiving a payment claim.

• The building contract outlines the process a client needs to follow if they are going to challenge all, or part of, the payment claim.

• The building contract also identifies if the owner does default on a payment claim, what process there is to resolve the situation.

2. Ensure you have the discussion up front on the current industry constraints from COVID-19 when signing the contract.

• Discuss how the contract will respond to price increases and supply delays.

• Download the COVID-19 Contract Clause Addendum which explains how NZCB Building Contracts will respond to price increases and delays.

3. If at any time during the building work there are: • delays resulting in the expected completion date to change; • price increases; • variations or additions;

6

ensure that you confirm these changes with the client in writing. Have the client confirm acceptance, and approve a variation notice. This will reduce the likelihood of any pushback from the client when you are submitting this variation in your next payment claim.

4. Serve to the client valid payment claims. What does a “valid payment claim” look like?

A payment claim must meet the following nine criteria.

1. It must be in writing.

2. It must identify the construction contract to which the payment relates to. An example of this would be to reference: NZCB Cost and Mark-up Contract.

3. It must identify the construction work you are charging for. Be detailed and precise. It is not recommended to be broad with your description.

4. It must state the total claimed amount.

5. It must indicate the basis of how you arrived at your calculated total figure.

6. It must identify the relevant date period to which the payment claim relates.

7. It must state the due date for payment.

8. State “This is a Payment Claim made under the Construction Contracts Act 2002.”

9. Include the ‘Important Notice’ (Form 1) on your payment claim – either attached or printed on the reverse.

The ‘Important Notice’ provides the person who is receiving the payment claim their obligations in black and white as to how and when they must make the payment or partial payment and the time frames in which to do so. It also identifies the process of how to challenge all, or part of a payment claim, using a payment schedule that also includes criteria to make it valid. *NB: we have an educational video under “Training Videos” in the NZCB members’ only Toolshed called, “Contract Exits and Payment Claim” in which Construction Law Specialist, Geoff Hardy from Martelli McKegg Lawyers and his team explain in detail the nine criteria to make your payment valid, and how situations play out if a client defaults on a payment claim.

5. Consider implementing these other practices to aid in the contract running smoothly.

• Keep lines of communication open. Regular communication with the progress, delays, and/or variation of the building work with the client will keep them happy and informed on the progress of the build.

Shane Ririnui Education and Technical Manager

Form 1 - Infor

mation that

must

accompany Section 20, Const all payment claims ruction Contra cts Act 2002

• Write into the contract a designated time of the week, or fortnight, to have the client meet on-site to discuss concerns and view the progress of the build to assist in keeping the client happy.

All of the above scenarios are not valid reasons to withhold paying the final payment claim unless you have committed as part of the contract that you will take care of the final inspection (CCC). It is best to keep your business hat on, and if clients are requesting to take possession of the site, for whatever reason, then they will need to pay the final payment claim. NZCB Building Contracts have conditions in the contract which will facilitate the recovery of this final payment.

What is this?

This notice is attach

ed to a claim

The person

Important notic e

for a payme nt (a payme

nt claim) under

the Construction who sent this payment claim Contracts Act date under a (the claimant) 2002 (the Act). construction is claiming to contract. be entitled to a payment for, Whether that or in relation person is entitle to, the constr d to a payme uction work have agreed nt, and how carried out to between yourse much they are lves about payme entitled to, will nts. If you haven’ depend on wheth What should t agreed on er you have I do with this Date payments, there are a construction payment claim?

You can either— default provisi contract and ons in the Act. what you

Tax Invoice/Payment Claim

Invoice #

• pay the amoun t claimed in the payment claim (in full) • on or before if you disput the due date e the for payment; stating the amounpayment claim, send the or t you are prepar From claimant a written payment schedu ed to pay instead The due date le that compli (which could for a payme es with section be nothing). nt is the date Address 21 of the Act on a due date, agreed betwe (a payment then the Act en you and the schedule) says working day that a payme claimant. That is any day other nt is due within due date must than a Saturd 20 working be set out in days after the ay, a Sunday, the payment a public payment claim claim. If you When do I have is served on haven’t agreed GST Number Job Name/Ref holiday, or any day from 24 to act? you. (For the December to You should act purposes of 5 January.) promptly. Otherw the Act, a ise, you may Due Date for payment lose the right to object.

What if I do nothing?

If you don’t pay the amoun t claimed by court to recove the due date r the unpaid for payment Building Contract amount from court case. or send a payme you as a debt nt schedule owed. In additio indicating what n, the court you will pay may decide Reference # instead, the Can I say that that you have claimant can I will not pay, to pay the claima go to or pay less than, Yes, by sendin nt’s costs for the claimed bringing the g a written payme Site/Job Address amount? nt schedule.

Note: If you do not send a written payme Description of work nt schedule, the claimant can How do I say bring court procee I will not pay, Date period of work dings agains or pay less than, To say that t From you you will To the claimed or refer the pay nothin undertaken You must matter to adjudi amount? g or indicat indicate the cation (or both). e what you amount that If the schedu will pay instead led amount is less than the you are prepared to , you pay, claime which This is a Payment Claim under the Construction Contracts Act 2002.

Please read the Important Notice on the reverse. must send the claima d amoun could t, you • be nothing. nt a written must explain how you calcula This amoun in the payme payment schedu ted the schedu t is called nt schedule— le. the schedu led amount; led amoun and t. why the schedu Description of work undertaken • QTY Rate Total led amount is less than the claimed amoun • your reason t; and or reasons for not paying the full amount Note: The written claimed. payment schedu le must also state which payment claim Note: If you state in the the payment payment schedu schedule relates how much is le that you will to. owing for adjudi pay less than cation. the claimed amount or pay How long do nothing at all, I have? the claimant may refer the You must send dispute about a payment schedu on you. le by the date agreed in the contract or, if no date was agreed, within If I say I will 20 working days pay another after the payme amount instea You must still nt claim was d, when do pay the schedu served I have to pay led amount it? by the due date for payment.

What if I don’t pay the schedu led amount If you send a when I say I payment schedu will? le but do not you as a debt pay the schedu owed or refer led amount the matter to by the due date, adjudication (or both). the claimant Note: A court can go to court to may also require recover the you to pay the unpaid amoun claimant’s costs. t from Advice

To

• Write into the contract how you will communicate with the client; will it be face to face? over the phone? or via email? I recommend selecting an option where you can record everything said, just in case you need to call upon a particular discussion.

• Don’t bury your head in the sand when a client is bringing concerns to your attention, all that will do is frustrate them more and they will begin to question everything. Hear what they have to say and promptly look to resolve it.

One last challenge a lot of builders are faced with is what to do when a client defaults on the final payment claim. Here are some of the reasons why this may occur.

• The client feels that the work needs to be signed off by the Council before they are happy with the work, and therefore happy to pay the builder.

• Banks are requesting that a final inspection (Code Compliance Certificate (CCC)) is to be awarded before releasing funds.

• There are questions around some defective work, or the client has workmanship concerns.

• The client has taken possession of the site or taken back possession of the site, for which they now have no motivation to pay.

Important: If there is anythi ng in this notice immediately. that you do not understand

Version 042016

Unless otherwise stated above, payment is due 5 Working Days after the Invoice is Served on the Owner. Within 5 working days of the Owner being served with a payment claim, the owner must provide to the Builder a payment schedule.

or if you want advice about what to do, you should consult a lawyer

Subtotal

$

GST

$

TOTAL Claim Amount

$

Version 042016

If you experience a client choosing to withhold the final payment, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on: 0800 237 843 ext 7220 or give Geoff Hardy from Martelli McKegg Lawyers a call on: 09 379 0700. Geoff operates the NZCB Business Legal Helpline, offering 20 minutes of free advice on any legal issue affecting your business.

Ngā mihi.

Thank you, Dave

Ian Chamberlain NZCB Board Chairperson

In acknowledgement for contributions to the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Board, the Association, and the industry, NZCB Board Vice Chairperson Nick Farrelly and NZCB Legal Advisor Geoff Hardy presented past NZCB Board Member Director, Dave Whitehead with a beautiful Koru sculpture. Dave held a Member Director position on the NZCB Board for nine years and continues to contribute to the Association and industry.

NZCB Board Vice Chairperson, Nick Farrelly (right), and NZCB Legal Advisor, Geoff Hardy (left), presenting past NZCB Board Member Director, Dave Whitehead (centre) with a beautiful Koru sculpture.

7

FROM NZCB —

Gabby Surtees Administration & Customer Liaison Halo Guarantees Limited

Why you should use a Halo Guarantee

One of the best things about being part of New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is exclusive use of the Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee. This guarantee has been tailor-made for the best builders in New Zealand – the members of our Association.

Only an NZCB member can provide a Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee. So read on to find out why the Halo Guarantee is an invaluable tool to have in your builder’s belt!

Exclusively available to NZCB members The Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee protects you and your Homeowners after the building process, and for the next 10 years. It provides much greater protection than both the Building Act and the Consumer Guarantees Act. While the vast majority of building projects will run smoothly, sometimes things do go wrong. The guarantee provides protection when these issues arise. It may also be that you stop working as a builder during the 10 years after completion.

The guarantee will still be there to provide cover to your Homeowners for the full 10 years, and if you retain an NZCB membership we can also provide assistance to you with any claims and fixing defects.

H It adds value to the homeowner’s property.

H It’s fully transferable if the homeowner decides to sell.

H It costs less than 1% of the total build cost to protect your biggest investment.

H Simple and flexible administration.

Benefits for the homeowner Cover after completion of the works (defects guarantee period): H 10-Year cover for structural defects including weather tightness issues caused by you (the builder) or your employees.

H 2-Year cover for non-structural defects (materials and workmanship) caused by you (the builder) or your employees.

H 10-Year cover for structural defects caused by your (the builder’s) sub-contractors (including their employees).

H 2-Year cover for non-structural defects (materials and workmanship) caused by your (the builder’s) sub-contractors (including their employees).

How do I apply for a Halo Guarantee?

If you are using an Online NZCB Building Contract for your project an application is automatically sent to Halo Guarantees Limited. It is recommended you do it this way, as this will ensure that all the correct information is received by the Halo Guarantees Limited team.

If you are using a Hardcopy NZCB Building Contract or another type of building contract you can submit a hardcopy application to Halo Guarantees Limited. The Halo Guarantee Application form can be found in the Halo section on the members’ only Toolshed. Ensure to send a signed copy of the build contract with your application.

Regardless of what happens in the future, your Halo Guarantee will be there to help you for the next full 10 years following completion* – it’s peace of mind, guaranteed. *as long as you retain an NZCB membership.

Assurance guaranteed These key components are considered essential for NZCB’s flagship guarantee product: H Halo has been developed to provide confidence and protection to homeowners.

H Competitive premiums.

H If something does go wrong after the completion of your build then, provided the terms and conditions are met, your guarantee will cover it and we will step in to help you fix any agreed problems.

8

More information about the Halo Guarantee can be found on the Halo Guarantees Limited website www.halo.nz, the Halo section of the NZCB members’ only Toolshed www.nzcb.nz/members/halo or contact the Halo Guarantees Limited team on: 0800 141 490 or applications@halo.nz.

Your Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee is administered

by Halo Guarantees Limited, a company owned 100% by New Zealand Certified Builders Association. All Halo Guarantee documentation can be found on the NZCB members’ only Toolshed www.nzcb.nz/members/halo/

NZCB Regional AGMs and Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee Workshops During the months of March to May, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Education and Technical Manager, Shane Ririnui, will be visiting NZCB Regions, and presenting to members about the NEW Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee.

The Halo Guarantee, which is exclusive to NZCB members, protects you and the homeowner after the building process.

It provides much greater protection than both the Building Act and Consumer Guarantees Act. While the vast majority of building projects will run smoothly, sometimes things do go wrong. The Halo Guarantee provides protection when these issues arise.

Come and learn all about the key features of the Halo Guarantee: • The difference between the old Halo Guarantee Insurance and the new Halo Guarantee • How Halo Guarantees Limited is tracking • How you are protected when defects arise from sub-contractors and suppliers • Other damage protection • Alternative accommodation expense • Professional Fees • Automatic Transfer • Tips on presenting the Halo Guarantee to the Client • Simple application process via NZCB Online Building Contracts Following the Halo Guarantee Workshop, Shane will host your Regional Annual General Meeting. Nibbles will be provided.

NOTE: All guests who will be attending the Halo Guarantee Workshops and AGMs will need to be fully vaccinated – this is a requirement of all the venues where the events are being held.

For more information keep an eye on your emails or check out the Events Calendar on the NZCB members’ only Toolshed.

FREE to attend!

EARN

1

LBP Point

REGION

DATE

TIME

VENUE

Taranaki

Tue 22 March 6:00 – 8:00pm The Fitz Restaurant & Bar

Manawatu

Wed 23 March 6:00–8:00pm Distinction Coachman Hotel Palmerston North

Taupō

Mon 28 March 6:00–8:00pm Apex Windows

Hawke’s Bay

Tue 29 March 6:00–8:00pm No.5 Café & Larder

Gisborne

Wed 30 March 6:00–8:00pm Emerald Hotel Gisborne

Whakatane

Thu 31 March

6:00–8:00pm Whakatane R.S.A Inc.

Blenheim/ Marlborough

Wed 6 April

6:00–8:00pm Fairweathers

Canterbury

Thu 7 April

6:30–8:30pm Hornby Club

Bay of Islands/ Far North

Tue 12 April

6:00–8:00pm The Office Today

Whangārei

Wed 13 April

6:00–8:00pm Dickens Inn

Auckland

Thu 14 April

6:30–8:30pm Online Webinar

Wairarapa

Wed 20 April

6:00–8:00pm Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park

Wellington

Thu 21 April

6:30–8:30pm Petone Working Men's Club

Tauranga Districts Tue 26 April

6:00–8:00pm The Yacht Club

Rotorua

Wed 27 April

6:00–8:00pm Rotorua Commercial Travellers Club

Waikato/ Coromandel

Thu 28 April

6:00–8:00pm Hamilton Working Men's Club Pavilion

Mid and South Canterbury

Mon 2 May

6:00–8:00pm Speights Ale House

Central Otago

Tue 3 May

6:00–8:00pm Urban Grind

Southland

Wed 4 May

6:30–8:30pm Ascot Park Hotel

Otago

Thu 5 May

6:00–8:00pm Edgar Centre

West Coast

Tue 10 May

6:00–8:00pm Monteith's Brewery

9

FROM NZCB —

Shane Ririnui Education and Technical Manager

Hybrid contracts With the current climate of supply chain constraints and price increases our industry is facing, it makes it very tricky to accurately price up a job, especially with the goal posts constantly changing. So, as a builder/ business owner, how can you reduce the risk of protecting yourself and your business when you are having to deal with the unknown?

I have fielded member enquiries seeking advice on whether we have a hybrid contract, or whether one of the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) suite of Building Contracts can be transformed into a hybrid contract.

Just to make it clear what the hybrid element of the contract is that I am referring to... it’s when you are wanting to fix the price of some elements or items of the building work, and cost reimburse (charge out) other elements or items of the building work.

A basic example is fixing the price on some of the big-ticket items like the slab, roof, joinery and cost reimbursing the rest of the work, labour included.

So… can this be done?

I put the question to Geoff Hardy (NZCB Legal Advisor, Construction Law expert and author of the NZCB suite of Building Contracts) to make comment on if this can be done.

His response was “yes, it can, no problem.” The contract to use would be the Fixed Price+ Contract as it is in fact already a hybrid contract. That is because there are three ways you can charge for your work or materials on a charge-up basis, and they are: 1. Variations – always charged on a charge-up basis, but they must be genuine variations, not just price rises. i. When applying a variation to the contract, where you can ensure to confirm the additional cost to the client and have them approve in writing or have them sign a variation notice confirming their acceptance of said variation.

We need to be very mindful of ensuring we keep ourselves safe during these difficult times, so that requires putting your business hat on and, where applicable, not continuing with variation work until you have this variation confirmed by the client in writing. Clients generally will challenge price increases when a variation in a progress payment claim is presented to them down the line, so having that confirmed in writing and attaching it to the payment claim that makes reference to the variation will reduce any push back or challenge from the client.

We need to be very mindful of ensuring we keep ourselves safe during these difficult times, so that requires putting your business hat on...

Geoff also goes on to state in these times of materials shortages, supply delays and rapidly escalating costs, that he encourages members to make much greater use of provisional sums and the special COVID-19 clauses he has written for NZCB, to assist our members in protecting themselves.

If you are unaware of where to access this COVID-19 clause, jump into the NZCB members’ only Toolshed and under building contracts you will see the button to download the COVID-19 Contract Clause Addendum pdf: https://www.nzcb.nz/members/building-contracts/ Attach that to every building contract you present to clients, to explain how the NZCB Building Contracts will respond to price increases and supply delays.

2. Provisional sums – you estimate the cost and then you replace it with the actual cost once it is known. i. Again, this revised cost needs to be captured, so we will need to follow the Variation process and have the client accept in writing the revised Provisional Sum. 3. Cost fluctuations – if your suppliers and subcontractors end up charging you more than they estimated at the outset, you charge the actual cost not the estimated cost. i. Just like the previous two options this is also treated as a variation to the contract, so we will need to confirm revised cost to the client and have them approve in writing a variation notice.

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If you have any further queries on this matter or building contracts in general, please don’t hesitate to ask, either send me an email, shane@nzcb.nz or contact me on 0800 237 843 extension 7220.

Ka Kite till next time, keep safe everyone and hopefully see you at the NZCB Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee Workshops – see page 9 of this issue of InHouse for more information.

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FROM NZCB —

Risk and insurance for builders Health and Safety on-site – you have heard it all before, right? But have you considered the other hazards and risks you’re exposed to on a daily basis, both on and off-site? As a builder, when you get to site each day you’re probably thinking about your plans for the day, the weather and the materials available.

But events are taking place all around you. These hazards and risks exist 24/7 at and away from the site. How you identify and manage these exposures will often determine how successful and profitable the job or contract will be.

It’s true, many of the practices and principles associated with risk identification and management have become engrained into your activities, adopted to comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act. This article is about wider exposures and using your health and safety practices to eliminate or minimise these as much as possible.

How to identify and manage your risks Risk profiling is the identification and categorising of the risks to which you and your business are exposed. Your risk profile is developed by: • examining the type and level of threats that exist; • considering the likelihood of adverse events and the level of disruption and costs associated with each type of risk; • analysing your willingness to take risks and your ability to absorb these risks.

The results from this identification process are then used to manage risks and when this cannot be achieved in a suitable manner, the results will help you make insurance decisions.

Here are some areas of consideration when ensuring the basic precautions are taken: Emergency procedures – Effective warning devices on hand; emergency procedures recorded and displayed; clear site access for emergency services; escape routes marked.

Hazardous substances on-site – Maintain current compliance measures including separation. Ensure security is appropriate for gas cylinders and similarly high value substances.

Electricity and gas supplies – Ensure compliant installations throughout the site and subject to regular checks, especially after alterations.

Hot work – Operate within the prescribed permit system, providing suitable extinguishers, scrutiny of work areas and cylinder storage facilities.

Waste material – Maintain good storage, housekeeping and waste disposal standards with adequate clearance from buildings and no burning of waste on-site.

Prioritising your risk management measures Brokerweb Risk Services, have access to analytical data that will help you identify significant insurable exposures in construction and other industries. The data culminates in a hazard index table which rates twelve classes of insurance for your industry according to the likelihood and severity of losses.

These ratings have been developed using historical claims and loss data for the building industry. It is recommended that additional factors specific to individual businesses, such as location and type of building activities, be taken into account when assessing this information.

Insurance Classes – Rated by Hazard Index

Fire protection – Early warning devices; extinguishing equipment and training to use; evacuation procedures; adequate water supplies.

Security – Site perimeter security; in-vehicle security; illumination, daily security check at the site; waste disposal and protection of hazardous material to prevent arson.

During construction – Appoint H&S and other roles required by law; keep mechanical equipment clear of combustibles; protection of and training to use equipment.

Temporary buildings – Maintain adequate separation from other structures and exercise caution with heating, cooking and smoking within temporary buildings.

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Work site safety, evidenced by Workers Compensation (ACC) exposures, is the most significant hazard rating. Improving these statistics was, in part, the purpose of recent health and safety legislation. However, hazard ratings shown on the table above demonstrate that other exposures can be mitigated by purchasing insurance.

What type of insurance do builders need?

This is a list of the top 12 insurance policies, rated according to their hazard index. There are other policies that may be important to protect you and your business. Consultation with an experienced insurance broker is very important and strongly recommended.

1. Product Liability Provides cover for your liability that arises from damage caused by products you have supplied.

7. Motor Vehicle This type of insurance is generally understood; it covers theft or damage to vehicles and your third-party liability. It is important to insure all your vehicles as well as the leased vehicles that you are responsible for.

2. Public Liability Insurance Protects your liability for personal injury to other parties and damage to property belonging to others. Often a Defective Workmanship extension is available which will provide some liability protection when you accidentally damage the property you are working on.

8. Machinery Breakdown Breakdown risks are often excluded from Property Insurance policies and many builders believe good maintenance practices will be adequate, therefore this type of insurance can be overlooked. However, an important extension will cover loss of income and additional costs, but only when Machinery Breakdown insurance is purchased.

3. Property Insurance – plant, tools and equipment This policy covers your plant, ranging from heavy machinery to hand tools. Cover can be arranged under a variety of policies such as Material Damage, Engineering policies, Motor policies and others. Valuable equipment is by definition costly to replace therefore insurance is often an effective method to handle the risks on-site, away from the site and in your vehicle. This cover may also need to include hired plant, depending on the hire contract.

Buildings, workshops, yards and contents (including those inside your vehicles) represent valuable assets of your business and should be insured. Proper sums insured need to be assessed to ensure the policy will respond in the way you expect, in the event of a claim. The premium will depend upon the value at risk, the construction, the security and usage.

9. Management Liability Insurance that covers exposures faced by directors, officers, managers, and business entities that generally arise from governance, finance and other management activities. Typically, this type of insurance includes Directors & Officers Liability, Statutory and Employers Liability, Employment Disputes, and others.

10. Cyber Liability This is a relatively new insurance product. Depending on the quality of the policy it covers internet based risks such as costs to recover your data following a security breach, the recovery costs after a ‘ransom attack’ or your liability for unintentionally transmitting a virus.

4. Contract Works Insurance Will cover the work in progress at the site, material transported to the site and material stored away from the site. The cover will protect you and your Principal against accidental damage prior to completion, up to the practical completion date and often during the defects period.

11. Transit Insurance This insurance will cover your materials and goods being shipped or transported by land, sea or air. Some cover is often provided as part of the Property Insurance however, when this is inadequate because of the amount of cover or the different nature of the goods then a specialised Transit Insurance should be considered.

5. Crime Insurance Provides cover for loss of money, materials or company assets as a result of fraud by staff or outsiders by internet theft.

12. Business Interruption None of the policies listed above will protect your profit if a serious event occurs therefore you may consider this cover for your loss of income and additional costs resulting from damage to insured property, such as specialised machinery and tools. This type of insurance can be referred to as ‘Loss of Profits’ or ‘Consequential Loss’ insurance.

6. Professional Indemnity This type of policy is designed to cover your legal liability, usually of a financial nature, incurred by giving negligent advice or through a breach of professional duty. If you perform any design or architectural work then Professional Indemnity insurance should be considered.

To find out more give BrokerWeb Risk Service Limited a call today: 0800 644 444.

REDi Builders’ Insurance is administered by BrokerWeb Risk Services Limited and is exclusive to NZCB members. BrokerWeb Risk Services also operate the NZCB members’ only, Insurance helpline and can be contacted on redi@bwrs.co.nz or 0800 644 444.

13

FROM NZCB —

Julie Thomas Revere Magazine Editor & Project Coordinator

The best made plans for your business Certified Plans provides Business members of New Zealand Certified Builders Association (NZCB) exclusive and instant access to a range of stunning home plans. Offering these plans creates a compelling reason for potential clients to decide you are the right choice to build their new home.

What is this service?

In 2014 NZCB sought the services of professional architects and designers, to provide a range of superb new home plans. Certified Plans now offer 32 architecturally designed house plans, representing a range of prices, tailored to suit different areas of New Zealand.

Why join Certified Plans?

Simple. There is a fast-growing trend for New Zealanders to go looking for house plans as soon as they start to think about building. Many of the larger housing groups now offer a range of plans, which they use to attract clients. Many NZCB members do not have access to such plans, so this service, coupled with the recognised experience and skills of NZCB members, provides a powerful tool to help secure new clients and new home building projects.

What are the benefits to you?

More enquiries, more sales, more jobs. Once signed up, whenever a potential customer asks if you have home plans, you’ll be able to answer yes.

How does it work?

Upon joining Certified Plans, you will receive everything you need to professionally market these house plans, including brochures, pricing information and presentation folders. Once your client is ready to take the next step, we can assist you with “standard”

14

working drawings of your chosen design ready for the next step of getting them client, site, and council specific.

You will also have a presence on the Certified Plans website, which together with our other marketing activities, will generate fresh leads for your business.

The Certified Plans website lists all NZCB members who have signed up to this exclusive service. Once you have signed up, potential clients in your region will have access to your contact details. So, as well as your hard copies, you will be able to provide access to the suite of downloadable Certified Plans.

How much will it cost?

There is an initial participation fee of $1,500+GST, payable in full on approval of the signed application.

Of course, you will be able to include the fees in your job costings and, if you wish, add a mark-up. We require a commitment to this service of three years, with the annual fee of $1,500+GST payable on both the first and second anniversaries of the agreement.

For further information regarding fees please contact Julie at NZCB National Support Office.

How do I sign up?

Contact Julie at the NZCB National Support Office on: 0800 237 843 ext. 7227 or info@certifiedplans.co.nz

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FROM NZCB —

Farewell to an exceptional leader!

On Friday 11th March, with sadness and gratitude we farewelled an exceptional leader, mentor, colleague, and friend – New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Chief Executive (CE), Grant Florence.

Grant joined the team at the NZCB National Support Office (NSO) in December 2011, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge, having been in the building and construction industry for over 20 years. Grant’s previous track-record was extensive, it included him holding various senior leadership roles within a large group home housing company and owning his own company, which specialised in internet technology in the building sector, at an early time of the development of the internet.

Grant’s innovative and forward-thinking vision for NZCB has not only lifted the Association’s professionalism, it has also paved the way for the Association to grow and prosper. He has worked tirelessly and been influential in the foundation and development of many successful initiatives for the Association including:

Grant’s passion and drive to add value to, and advance the Association, was evident from the start. Over the past decade, Grant has played an instrumental role in the development and growth of the Association, with improvements that have ultimately led NZCB to achieve many successes, which we are all proud of.

• raising brand awareness of the Association, through Regional and National engagement with offices of influence and promotional work at other key events, alongside presenting at various industry events. NZCB is now a recognised brand not just within the building and construction industry but also with the general public;

• the rebranding of the Association from Certified Builders Association of New Zealand (CBANZ) to New Zealand Certified Builders Association (NZCB);

• helping to create and implement the Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee insurance, administered by BrokerWeb Risk Services and backed by Lloyds of London, in doing so, changed the homeowner guarantee landscape in New Zealand; • established the Association’s digital advertising strategy in 2018;

Past Chairperson of the CBANZ Board , Allan Shaw (right) welcoming Grant to the Association in 2011.

• instigated and assisted in the design, planning and development of a purpose-built premise and asset for the Association – NSO in Tauranga; • was influential and well respected with Government Regulators and Political Leaders when promoting the voice of NZCB members; • facilitating an architecturally designed range of house plans known as Certified Plans; • launching REVERE magazine, a members’ only celebratory magazine delivered nationwide to our target market, the homeowner;

NZCB NSO in Tauranga.

• creating and implementing the new Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee and the company Halo Guarantees Limited – owned 100% by NZCB; • together with his NSO team, significantly increased and sustained membership numbers by over 45% • led the change in how we engage and educate our members by establishing a Toolbox Seminar Series, providing on-site education at a regional level, nationwide; • increased the Association’s annual gross revenue base by approximately 120%;

NZCB and Halo Teams.

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From left to right: Brett Chatterton, forme Sir Bill English and Grant Florence.

r Prime Minister of New Zealand

In the media, Grant

being interview for

TV3 News.

Grant addressing members.

• engaged New Zealand Prime Minister, at the time, Bill English to attend and speak at the 2017 NZCB Conference and Expo in Auckland; • helping establish and continue the NZCB Mentoring Programme – matching experienced builders with new members who are either new to business or looking to expand; • Building Insites – a joint Partnership with Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) to educate and up-skill busy builders by delivering Build Quality Training Sessions on-site; • helping make NZCB a reliable Building Insites trailer. information source by contributing to communications around topical matters such as COVID-19 and the timber shortage crisis, through sourcing the latest information, often from his industry contacts; • initiated ongoing professional support for NZCB Regional Presidents, assisting them to become greater communicators through leadership training, and assisting them to have a greater voice for the Association and our members; • taking on the role as Executive Director of the Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST Trust) and being responsible for the smooth operation of the AST Trust and the strategic restructure into the Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) Apprentice Training Programme; • instigating and helping with the organisation of an international trip for NZCB members to the United States to attend the 2020 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre; • actively grew NZCB’s presence with the media in New Zealand; • implementing a new and improved insurance product specific to NZCB members through the REDi brand, which has increased the range of builder related insurance products available to members; • initiated and assisted in the review to reshape and resize the makeup of the NZCB Board from 12 members to six. This new board model was more suited to modern business practices and supported the future strategic direction of the Association; • implementing, assisting with organisation, hosting and presenting to staff, training sessions to keep the NSO team informed on Association updates and education on the latest information to best help our members; In the daily running of the Association Grant can be seen engaging and liaising with key internal and external stakeholders in order to maintain and forge working relationships. And representing the Association in the media through television, radio, and print

17

channels. Additionally, Grant helps put together and implement the NZCB Boards strategic plan. It’s clear to see Grant’s work output has been extraordinary.

With his knowledge and expertise of the building sector, Grant has become an industry recognised figure. Through his involvement with, and on many boards, alongside his numerous public speaking engagements, Grant has assisted in promoting the NZCB brand.

Beyond this, Grant has advocated for our members, having represented their voice on topical issues with Government officials, Ministers, Councils and the Building and Consent Authority (BCA).

Grant has had a positive influence on outcomes for our members and the greater industry.

Fully immersed in the Association and dedicated to its members, Grant has always taken the time to get to know members on a personal level. Grant regularly attends regional events including charity golf days and boxing events to Annual General Meetings, and Expos, sometimes to present, but mainly to catchup with our members. Many of our members can recall a fond story or memory about Grant.

NZCB International Builders Show group 2020 in Southern California.

Through leading by example and creating a “my doors always open” policy, sharing his wisdom, encouragement, and mentorship, Grant has guided his team at NSO through many changes and challenges. When Grant first started with the Association there were just 9 staff, today there are 19, each with a different role and skill set to provide specialised services for our members.

Grant is not just a leader, but a team player. He’s always the first to “muck in,” lend a hand and contribute to administrative tasks where required at NSO – such as membership mail outs, packing for, unpacking and then re-packing for our Annual Conferences and Expo.

Grant, the above is a testimony of your dedication to the Association, and we truly value your contributions. On behalf of all past and present members, staff, and stakeholders, thank you for your vision, passion, and loyalty; Karla, Shane, Gavin, Trudi, Julie, Georgia, Jess, Ashleigh, Linda, Rose-Anne, Kelly, Andrew, Esmerelda, Nick, Shaye, Gabby, Ashley and Nicola.

We wish you well as you embark on a new chapter in your life!

s

Specific Design structural gable truss (exposed)

Elevation Guide 2 155x2 700 st/slider

2 155x2 700 st/slider 2 155x800

2 155x1 800

 

2 155x800

2 155x3 600 dbl/slider

2 155x800

0

ENG Beam

2/76

2 155x2 000 r/slider

1 200x1 600

2 155x1 200 2 155x1 200

600x1 800

2 155x600

2 155x1 200

2 155x1 200 Optional VELUX fixed skylight

1 200x1 600



 

2 155x1 200

Optional VELUX fixed skylight

2 155x2 000 r/slider

2 155x1 200 810

 2 155x800

FROM NZCB —

Ridge Beam

2 155x1 800

2 155x800



optional  fireplace 

810



D/W

sl. doors

810 810





 

Wall Types Key:

 



2 155x1 200

2 155x1 200

90x45H1.2 frame with 180mm JH Linea w/board

2 155x800



90x45H1.2 internal framing studs@600crs

810



810

810

2 155x1 430

 

WH



760 c/sl

760

2 155x1 200

Farewell to an exceptional leader...

Floor Area

364.04m² o/frame

2 100h x 4 800w

2 155x2 000 r/slider

2 155x1 600



I was impressed with the highly standard of board papers Grant prepared for meetings from day one.

The CBANZ and NZCB Board often challenged Grant with new ideas, and Grant has done a fantastic job of implementing CBANZ and NZCB Board’s decisions during his tenure. A great deal of developments has been made to shape the direction of NZCB over the past 10 years.

2 100h x 2 400w

2 155x2 000 r/slider



I was voted in as one of CBANZ’s Board Members not long after Grant had started as CBANZ Chief Executive Officer. Grant, along with the CBANZ Board at the time, welcomed me from the start, which gave me the confidence to contribute to the strategic direction of the Association.

2 155x600

All plans & building work is subject to council approval. All dimensions & underground service locations to be checked prior to commencement of all works or ordering of materials. DO NOT scale off drawings. Cross reference all drawings, confirm site levels, floor heights & restrictions prior to earthworks. If any discrepancies occur, ask the designer or contractor immediately before commencing works or ordering.

“

All documents are copyright to New Zealand Certified Builders Association

2 155x600

Client Name:

....................

Site Address:

.................... ....................

Plan:

Job Number:

Date:

Drawn by:

Kauri

dd.mm.yy

CB-

FLOOR PLAN Check:

Rev:

Sheet no :

03of 24 Scale:

1:125

Certified Plans, an architecturally designed range of house plans for NZCB members.

I first met Grant not long after he came into the CBANZ Chief Executive role; I can’t remember if it was an Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST) or an Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) gathering, but I was taken with how quickly he’d grasped the intricacies of the vocational training environment.

In the subsequent 10 years we have worked together on numerous aspects of NZCB life, and I’ve really enjoyed his forthright approach to things. My involvement with Grant has included as an individual member of the Association, where I’ve been able to share some of my views with him.

I wish Grant all the best in his future endeavours.

“

610



 

810 710



 

sl. doors 810

810

2 155x800

24 480

“

760

 

 

sl. doors

2 155x800



710

 

760 c/sl.

 

Brent Chatterton Past NZCB Board Chairperson, 2016 to 2018

Grant asked me to become a part of the AST trustees’ group in about 2013 to represent the views of the Industry Training Providers (ITP) sector (ITAB partners), and we worked together (along with the likes of Kevin Sceats and Bob Monopoli) to maintain, then eventually re-shape AST into a core part of ITAB, all the while keeping the focus on how we could best support apprentices and others experiencing hardship.

On behalf of the NZCB Board, I would like to extend my thanks to Grant for his invested efforts in helping the organisation to advance and prosper over his 10-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer.

During his time with us, Grant has offered great support and encouragement to countless people part of NZCB and has helped the Association to grow considerably – we now have over 2300 Business members.

I also worked closely with Grant in the early days of the original Apprentice Challenge, and really enjoyed being part of the shift to what we now know as the NZCB Apprentice Challenge (NZCBAC). Being part of the NZCBAC judging team for the last few years has been a great experience, and it was always good to give Grant confidence after the event that if even half of the entrants each year eventually became NZCB members then the future of the Association was assured.

Grant’s achievements over the past decade have been considerable.

Grant was instrumental in creating the former ‘Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee’ insurance product and was the visionary behind the replacement guarantee product which is backed solely by New Zealand Certified Builders. Alongside the new ‘Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee’, Halo Guarantees Limited was formed. Both the new product and company were launched in October 2020 have now been in operation for 18 months.

On behalf of the ITP sector, we have enjoyed and benefitted from Grant’s advocacy, and not just for us but for the whole construction sector. Knowing that Grant had ready access to key influencers in Wellington and elsewhere was reassuring.

It hasn’t been a case of all work and no play; we’ve enjoyed some good conversation on the golf course at various events, and we would often catch up for a coffee to share our views on various matters.

Grant’s involvement with the NZCB National Support Office building, which was built by our local Tauranga NZCB Members in 2017 has created a great asset for both NZCB and the support team who work there.

Grant, it’s been a pleasure, and I wish all the best in whatever you do next, and see if you can get that handicap down a bit!

I would like to wish Grant well in his future journeys.

Ngā mihi nui,

Ian Chamberlain Present NZCB Board Chairperson, since 2021

Brian Dillon Present AST Trust Chairperson, since 2013

18

6

Built by Atrium Homes Limited

REVERE

7

Fan-tastic result Tauranga | Bay of Plenty

The journey to building this unconventional Bay of Plenty home was paved with cedar, schist, and curved, laminated beams. Three distinctive roof planes overlap to form three fans, creating bends and interesting angles throughout the house.

Builder Allan Shaw of Atrium Homes says you will not find a right angle anywhere but the garages.

“There are cavity sliders sitting in a curved wall, which is amazing. The wooden support beams were up to 21 metres long. We made it work through multiple calculations and careful planning.”

“It is a home of exceptional design and quality. We cannot believe our good luck.”

Solid oak parquet flooring throughout the open plan layout, with radial inlays to accentuate the curved floor-plate, exemplify the quality of materials and craftsmanship of the home.

At 375m², the home is big enough to entertain guests while providing a homely atmosphere for its owners. Allan says it is immediately welcoming.

“You open the door and look straight through the hall and living spaces and out to the view. The water is just 50 metres from the house.”

Keith and Brenda can now relax and enjoy what Allan’s team has masterfully created from Kelvin’s design.

“We love the place,” says Keith. “When we wake in the morning and open the curtains to a huge, sweeping view of the Tauranga Harbour, we get a real sense of ‘wow’. It is a home of exceptional design and quality.

We cannot believe our good luck.”

NZCB Member

⁄ Allan Shaw

allan@atriumhomes.co.nz

Homeowners Keith and Brenda enlisted architect Kelvin Peck to design a modern home that capitalised on its perch above the shimmering waters of Tauranga Harbour.

Kelvin says the clients sought an interesting roof-form that would extend to the interior. “They wanted to make the most of the site because it is a beautiful location.”

The intricate design work and precise execution involved have paid off handsomely. The roof is angled to let sunlight and full moon reflections into the internal spaces of the house, creating elements of surprise and delight. The spectacular cantilevered fan over the deck provides shade in the summer, but warming sunshine floods the deck in winter, allowing the owners to enjoy year-round indoor/outdoor living.

“

NZCB REVERE magazine – celebrating the exceptional work of NZCB members.

What can you say about someone who has led NZCB for well over a decade? Here’s a snapshot of what calls to mind when I reflect on NZCB today.

NZCB is recognised as a new and modern brand, members are valued, and a competitive Halo Guarantee product is offered.

Annual NZCB conferences are highly regarded by members, exhibitors and sponsors alike, with the ‘NZCB Apprentice Challenge’ standing out as one of the Conference highlights.

NZCB and Halo banners.

construction standards and related regulations on behalf of NZCB members. Grant’s support and expertise plays an integral part in NZCB holding successful memberships.

Conferences are extremely well attended year upon year, in 2021, a record number of 865 NZCB Members were in attendance, with a 20% growth in exhibitors.

On a personal note, I have many fond memories of Grant’s contributions to debates around the BCITO Board table, and the forthright and honest manner in which he captivates the attention of the room during these forums.

Grant has successfully contributed to numerous industry organisations – notably as a Director of the Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), and the Construction Industry Council alongside many others. Grant has also offered valued representation and contribution on

Kevin Sceats Past NZCB Board Chairperson, 2018 to 2020 and present Halo Guarantees Limited Chairperson, since 2020

“

I feel privileged to write a farewell article for Grant ‘Buzz’ Florence.

As the Chief Executive (CE), you would forgive him for not getting involved in the daily administration and logistical tasks that occur at the National Support Office, but not Grant. He’s the first person to roll up his sleeves and help with envelope packing for a membership mail-out to over three thousand recipients.

Often at the end of our annual conference, you will find Grant alongside his NSO staff helping to pack-down stands, load boxes and sweep up! Grant has a huge capacity for work and enjoys the occasional after-hours social activity with the team. It’s this old school ‘work hard, play hard’ culture that many of us value from Grant, and will be sorely missed in his absence.

I first met Grant a little over six years ago when I interviewed for the position of NZCB Business Development Manager – South Island. After attaining the position, I knew that Grant would be my boss and mentor. However, what I didn’t know was that in time, as I gained more responsibility and progressed into the position of Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager, working more closely with Grant, he would become someone I consider a friend.

In my humble opinion, Grant leads with conviction – he’s certainly not afraid to make decisions that he believes are in the best interests of the Association – even if they could be unpopular and, at times, ruffle a few feathers. It’s no secret Grant operates at a different level of added responsibilities than what the rest of the team at NSO are exposed too, and has proven to perform well under pressure.

Under Grant’s 10-year tenure as CE, NZCB has endured, and is well placed to continue as the recognised and respected association of choice for qualified building professionals in New Zealand. I would like to thank Grant for his support and commitment to me and my colleagues as employees, but also to the membership and wider building industry.

Lastly, I wish your wife Pip, who provides you the support we can’t, the very best of luck for having you at home on a more regular basis. I also hope that your golf game improves (well, at least to be as good as Pip’s) with more regular practice time!

During my time at NZCB I have witnessed Grant’s ability as a strategic thinker and an influential leader to develop new initiatives (with the support and approval of the NZCB Board), and to enhance the NZCB membership offering. The most recent example is Halo Guarantees Limited, which would not have been possible without his knowledge of the building industry, and business experience.

Thanks Grant, it’s been a privilege working for and alongside you.

Nick Matthews NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager

19

FROM NZCB —

Goodbye, good luck and welcome!

Sadly, this month we say goodbye to two exceptional staff members from the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) National Support Office (NSO), Georgia Courtney and Ashleigh Fletcher, but we’re also excited to welcome two new members to the team, Kirsty Armstrong and Jess Hood.

Goodbye Georgia and good luck Ashleigh Georgia, who is well known by many, has been with the Association since 2018 holding the position of Membership Benefits Coordinator. Georgia has often been the friendly, cheerful voice on the other end of the phone providing a range of assistance to our members.

Georgia’s roles have been extensive, from managing all aspects of the NZCB merchandise, AA Membership and Fisher & Paykel to maintaining members details on their listings for our ‘Find a Builder’ section of the website. She has also offered NZCB Toolshed support, including helping members in the completion of NZCB online Building Contracts and Employment Agreements, alongside communicating other deals and discounts offerings for members.

Georgia has also played a major part in many tasks behind the scenes, in assisting with the day to day operations at NSO. Choosing to pursue her dream, Georgia has moved to France to work on Super Yachts – we wish her all the best and happy sailing, Georgia! Thank you for your commitment and dedication to the NZCB NSO Team.

Ashleigh, who joined the Association in 2020, holds the position of Marketing Executive and Digital Marketing Specialist and is currently on Maternity Leave.

Bringing with her a wealth of knowledge, ideas and creativity, Ashleigh’s role at the Association has included designing and creating marketing collateral, digital marketing, website maintenance and communications.

She has also been a big part in National event organisation and support for our regional committees.

We wish Ashleigh and her fiancé James all the best for the safe arrival of their new family member!

Welcome Kirsty and Jess!

We are excited to introduce and welcome Kirsty Armstrong to the Association. Kirsty has taken over the role of NZCB Membership Benefits Coordinator in place of Georgia.

Kirsty is currently studying through the Toi Ohomai institute of Technology towards her Diploma in Business Management, Marketing and Sales, which she aims to complete by July, 2022.

Previously Kirsty worked for Barrantes in a part time capacity completing social media, website and administration functions. Prior to this, Kirsty was based in Hamilton working for the University of Waikato for three years as the Personal Assistant to the Director of Property.

If you have any questions about NZCB merchandise, would like to sign up to AA Membership, need a quote, or would like to place an order for a Fisher & Paykel item, require assistance with the NZCB members’ only Toolshed (including logging on, completing the NZCB online Building Contracts and Employment Agreements) please get in touch with Kirsty on 0800 237 843 ext. 7292 or kirsty@nzcb.nz.

Welcome Kirsty, we are excited to have you on the team!

We are pleased to introduce and welcome Jess Hood to the Association.

Jess graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and English Literature from The University of Auckland in 2020. In 2021, she worked on short-term assignment at Zespri International as a Licence Administrator, followed by assisting with business operations for a start-up café at Mount Maunganui.

Jess has taken on the role of Marketing Executive while Ashleigh is on Maternity leave.

Jess will be looking after content creation, website maintenance and communications. She will also assist with Region and National event organisation and support. Jess can be contacted on 0800 237 843 ext 7627 or jess@nzcb.nz.

Welcome Jess, we are excited to have you on the team!

20

FROM NZCB —

Putting our partners in the spotlight New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is proud to partner with a wide range of companies with multiple branches nationwide. These companies have aligned with the Association to provide significant support to our members and have the option to engage with them across a wide range of opportunities. Known to the Association as “National Partners” we are delighted to tell you a little bit more about two of them.

Introducing The Trades Coach

Introducing APL Window Solutions

As a professional business advisor, mentor and coach since 2006, Andy has helped a wide range of private business owners address their frustrations, improve profitability and lower their stress.

APL Window Solutions have been delivering marketleading products for 50 years.

Since 2012, he has specialised in working with the owners of construction related businesses to build systems and profitability into their operations and has been a National Partner with NZCB since 2016.

With a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Auckland University in Financial Accounting and Marketing Management, Andy’s skill set complements very well with his builder-clients.

It’s the business management areas that are often the weak link for builders and his specialist knowledge, together with his “walk with you” approach, is uniquely successful.

Construction is a hard and risky business and sometimes the rewards don’t match up. That’s the Trades Coach’s mission.

To re-balance the risks and efforts that owners invest in their businesses with the rewards they receive. To help you get unstuck and move to where you want to be.

He offers a complementary business review and strategy session for NZCB members.

APL Window Solutions is part of a fully integrated vertical supply chain that’s dedicated to excellence. Each part of the business concentrates on its role in delivering market-leading products to the New Zealand building industry.

We’re committed to innovation and improvement you can trust: always wanting to develop a better-performing window or to improve our impact on the environment and our communities.

Everything we manufacture is designed and tested specifically for New Zealand’s unique landscape, weather and aesthetics.

It’s then distributed nationwide to our independently owned manufacturers who fabricate and install the windows and doors into kiwi homes.

These dedicated operators work on a wide variety of residential and commercial projects and are the exclusive suppliers of APL products through our three brands: Altherm, First and Vantage.

For more information about our innovation and supply chain, and links to our brands, visit www.aplnz.co.nz

For more information, visit www.tradescoach.co.nz or email andy@tradescoach.co.nz

A full list of NZCB National Partners can be found on page 69 of this issue of InHouse or on the members’ only Toolshed under Our Partners.

IN THE KNOW —

COVID bounce back and the challenges in ’22 So long 2020. Adieu 2021. Welcome to 2022. Whilst we are no doubt happy to see the back of 2020 and 2021, that last statement is a problem. Saying 2022 sounds like “2020 Part 2”. I don’t think anyone wants another 2020. Without doubt, the last two years have been a challenge at every level. Uncertainty for the future. Lockdowns. Concern for loved ones at home and overseas. Fear of an unseen and intangible assailant, fuelled by hyperventilating government and media forecasts and rhetoric.

For building – particularly house building – this seems doubly so. For well over a decade the sector has struggled with growing pains. Housing demand has grown by around 16% per year since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007/8. The Auckland growth rate is closer to 19% pa. Recently annual consents issued across New Zealand rose above 40,000 – a record not seen since the 1970s. Coping with this rate of growth is difficult. Eking out nearly a fifth more production each year from the same staff and investment without overstretching the company is a challenge. It seems like every developer is at full throttle. Every contractor we know is working all hours and struggling to get the skilled workers they need. Materials availability is a constant battle of moving goalposts. Suppliers introduce seemingly random price increases for no apparent reason.

On continuous repeat in the background is the rhetoric of successive governments. The industry is inefficient. Housing is too costly. Materials are a rort. Quality of construction is poor.

Building takes too long. We need more land – land is the answer.

And on and on. New initiatives to solve the problem? We’ve seen more and more. Anyone remember Special Housing Areas?

Not to mention the historic “success” of KiwiBuild.

So, it all seems chaotic at present for sure. Not good. Deep breath. But it is worth taking the time out to take a look at the big picture and see where we are going.

Supply chain in crisis The current supply chain crisis is both a national and international problem. New Zealand can’t supply itself with the materials it needs for construction. We produce some materials indigenously – for example treated, sawn and machined timber. But for many other products, such as insulation, fixtures and fittings, pipework, sealants etc, we rely on imports. The reason for this is that there is sufficient market scale to warrant the investment in production plant for the higher bulk demand items, but less so in other manufactured lines. Hence, we import.

Our international suppliers are similarly under stress. The USA has seen cut timber prices triple over the last year.

Government policy there and globally has seen massive

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injections of capital into economies to offset the effects of COVID-19. New Zealand is no different. Populations have become cash rich and seek to protect their gains through capital investments. Housing investment is a primary mechanism. A housing boom has propagated around the world – and continued New Zealand’s decade long bull run.

Consequently, less product is available to export to New Zealand and the premium to supply here has increased.

Concurrent with an explosion in building product demand, our supply lifeline has been constricted. The initial economic impact of COVID-19 in 2020 was significant. International shippers anticipated recession as demand collapsed. They reduced ships in service, retiring older hulls. Routes were rationalised and less profitable destinations (i.e. New Zealand) saw reduced service. Consequently, import shipping costs have increased significantly.

A last feature of the supply chain problem is the effect that COVID-19 has had on our offshore suppliers. Workforces have been depleted through illness and hospitalisation in countries like China. Similarly, transportation workers have been hit by both illness as well as the imposition of vaccine mandates in some countries. Both production and transportation has been consequently impacted that feeds back to New Zealand as a spike in materials costs that we import.

The demand chain New Zealand is in love with property investment. Buying.

Renovating. Flicking on. Our future prosperity and pensions are inextricably linked to housing. Most financial investment consultants will recommend buying a rental property as a key element of a portfolio. With this in mind the sector as a whole has been heavily skewed into fulfilling this demand profile.

The COVID-19 infusion of liquidity into the New Zealand market led to a sustained growth in demand for housing throughout the lockdown periods.

People spending more time at home took on renovation projects. Money not spent on overseas holidays and travel to work became redirected into property investment and renovation work. This combination has spiked materials demand and magnified the capacity constraints in the market.

Technology

Where next?

The houses we build today are largely the same as those we built a century ago in New Zealand. Any builder from 1900 would recognise most construction technology in use today. Admittedly they may look a bit sideways at wireless routers and BIM models. The effect of exploding demand for housing has been to see traditional construction stretched to the limit. At full capacity it is hard to invest in new technology and swap over to new techniques ‘mid-stream’. Construction technology in New Zealand has really not substantially advanced. Perversely investment in technology and growth is not favoured as many builders do not wish to overextend themselves and potentially suffer in any future downturn.

Paradoxically this position is likely to be vindicated in the event of a downturn in the market which will likely impact those companies that have invested are more leveraged as a result.

There will be a bounce back effect in the economy as borders reopen. The likely influx of returning Kiwis, tourists and international students will see some of hard-hit sectors of the economy start to reanimate. Increased economic activity follows the flow of people. This will likely generate an uptick in construction demand – balanced in part by immigrant skilled labour entering the industry.

Production capacity For years we have seen rationalisation taking place in the New Zealand construction materials production sector.

Multi-site companies consolidate onto single sites. Australia/ New Zealand enterprises retreat to the other side of The Ditch.

Over recent years we have seen many instances of old timber and steel mills being closed, but not so many times when new infrastructure has been opened.

Investment takes place to streamline production and minimise less efficient ‘surplus capacity’. As a result, it is hard to reverse this trend and rapidly scale up production to meet inflated demand. Companies respond by working longer hours at consolidated locations. Double shifts drive time and a half pay. Labour and product costs escalate. Unsatisfied demand is addressed through increased waiting time or directly from imports. Alternatively, companies need to invest in long term capacity growth that may be at risk in the event that there is an economic downturn. In short, we have a finite capacity to provide materials to the sector and a limited taste for the additional risk associated with capacity investment.

Skills availability We have been dependent for many years on skilled immigrant labour coming into New Zealand. Our ability to fulfil the labour demands of the industry is limited to the total number of Kiwis keen to start a career in construction. Sadly, that number is not expanding at a dramatic rate and demographics are against it. Even if it did ramp up, the lag between a student leaving school and entering the workforce varies from 12-48 months depending on skills, through trade training or university.

Recently the government announced that border reopening will be accompanied by prioritisation of short skills such as engineering and construction. In the short term we may see some relief around costs of tradies, but the underlying shortage will remain a problem for years to come.

However, we are likely to continue to see constraints around indigenous production capacity and supply chain.

Fundamentally the cuts initiated at the start of COVID-19 restrictions are slow to reverse. Workers move on, skills are lost, companies reorientate their business models. It takes much longer to rebuild what was reflexively cut out in 2020.

A wider concern are the ‘big picture’ global problems impacting money markets internationally and consequently the construction markets in New Zealand. President Biden’s spending plans in the USA have driven a 40-year inflation high. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates which will impact all economies to a greater or lesser extent.

The collapse of Evergrand property in China has now gone quiet during the Winter Olympics – the long-term impact in lending and Chinese investor behaviour is yet to be determined. US/Russia posturing on the border with Ukraine could easily lead to conflict. US/Chinese posturing in the South China Sea could lead to a different conflict. Any of these flash points could precipitate a substantial turn in New Zealand markets. Certainly, none of those issues look good for long term financial risk taking. Paying down debt is preferable to borrowing. Things could go very wrong very quickly. Inflation hit a 30 year high in New Zealand in the last month – just as interest rates and loan-to-value ratios (LVRs) are increasing. New Zealand Housing could turn on the proverbial dime in terms of sentiment.

Long story short, some of the problems we have faced over the last few years are likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The indicators for a lessening of labour shortages are good. However, the potential impact of isolation protocols of COVID-19 ‘close contacts’ under the government’s traffic light scheme could create staffing headaches to say the least. Currently investment signals are problematic. Elevated interest rates and inflationary pressures are an inevitable consequence of the COVID-19 response. The good news is that the bounce back will happen. It could be subject to some impediments in progress, but it will happen. On balance, the best advice that can be given is to proceed with caution.

John Tookey is Professor of Construction Management at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). He maintains a wide teaching and research portfolio around project management, construction logistics, supply chain management and procurement. Consequently, Professor Tookey is a regular commentator in various broadcast media including radio, TV and press addressing construction engineering and housing issues in New Zealand.

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IN THE KNOW —

Always be on the money with tech With the price of building materials rising, it’s more important than ever to manage your project budgets as well as keeping on top of costs.

Put simply: if prices go up during a job, you could lose control of the budget and have your profits wiped out. The good news is, tech can help you avoid this.

Being able to see what is being charged by the supplier makes it easy to identify and deal with unexpected variations.

There’s a range of apps available, designed especially for builders – including NextMinute, Buildxact CoConstruct and Builda Price – which will put you back in control of your projects.

Tech gives you total visibility and better control The key to successfully managing your budgets and keeping on top of costs is having all the information visible and easily accessible. Here’s how tech helps: • Real-time numbers at your fingertips – get accurate up-to-date information on figures such as estimated cost, actual current costs and gross profit % – so you always know exactly where you are with each job.

• Complete project overview – quickly access your original estimate; see what have you ordered; how costs are tracking; and how much budget do you have left.

• Keeping you on top of costs – easily identify and track cost variations, so you can adapt planning and anticipate problems. This is important for fixed price projects, where your margin can be squeezed.

• Communication with clients – keeping your client in the loop with better financial visibility will help you avoid difficult conversations about money as well as build trust.

• Better systems and delegation – your back office will run more smoothly with clear processes for your staff and bookkeeper, plus improved communication on-site means everyone knows what they’re doing.

Real-life examples using tech How to track costs with Buildxact: 1. Create a quote using take-offs, measurements and estimated costs for the project.

2. Order the construction materials and subcontractor services.

3. Your bookkeeper (or you) allocates the supplier’s invoice against the Purchase Order when it comes in.

Progress

Variance

Invoiced

Gross Profit

88%

99%

100%

24%

Result: as the business owner, you’ll have easy, clear visibility of how much you estimated, how the costs are tracking and whether you have a budget surplus.

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How to track profitability with NextMinute or Builda Price: 1. Create your estimate including all of your labour, materials, subcontractor costs, P & G items, overheads and your margin.

2. Track all your costs in one app against your expected costs from your estimate.

3. Analyse your back-costing reports to track your job profitability.

Image: example NextMinute Back-Costing report

Result: seeing all the costs together makes it easier to judge whether the job is on budget. You can track profitability at any stage of the project, from beginning to end, which enables you to pay special attention to any areas which are going over budget.

Take the next step All of the best project management apps for builders have the above features and much more. However, they do vary, and it’s important to choose a system which will suit your business best. Many apps offer free trials, and there’s plenty of information online if you have time to do the research.

Alternatively, you could seek advice from an independent tech advisor. This could save you time – as well as the potential cost of choosing the wrong system and having to start again.

So, whether you’re looking to bring tech into your business, or want help to get better with a system you’re already using, NZCB National Partner Free Up could help you with the process. Give Anna at Free Up a call on: 021 0839 6910.

Anna Brooks, Free Up. Free Up is an NZCB National Partner and tech advisor for builders – making the process quick and easy, from selecting the right software to setting up the system to training staff. Anna also operates our Technology and Software helpline for members. For more information visit www.freeup.co.nz

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IN THE KNOW —

Recapping the NZ Building Code H1 Window updates On 29th November 2021, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment released changes to the Building Code, Acceptable Solution H1/AS1, the biggest in over a decade.

The changes cover all housing for consents from the 2nd November 2022. The two key categories of build are now split as follows.

• All Housing regardless of size, and small buildings less than 300m2 are covered in Acceptable Solution H1/AS1 • Buildings other than housing over 300m2 have been combined into the new Acceptable Solution H1/AS2 The new climate zones were derived from NIWA data with the boundaries aligning to Territorial Authorities for compliance.

There is a lookup table in the Acceptable Solution H1/AS1 documentation, showing the Territorial Authority and the associated Climate Zones.

The existing three Climate Zones are replaced by six Climate Zones, that are then linked together for window R-Value performance Zones (1 and 2), Zones (3 and 4) and Zones (5 and 6).

Climate zone 1 Climate zone 2

Far North Whangarei

Climate zone 3 Kaipara

Climate zone 4 Climate zone 5

ThamesCoromandel

AUCKLAND

MatamataHauraki Piako Tauranga Waikato Western HAMILTON CITY Bay of Plenty Waipa Ōtorohanga Rotorua Ōpōtiki South Kawerau Waikato Gisborne Waitomo Whakatane

Climate zone 6

New Plymouth

Ruapehu

Taupo

Wanganui Manawatu Horowhenua

Buller

Hastings Mangaweka

Kapiti Coast

Tararua

Marlborough

Central Hawke’s Bay

Ōhingaiti

PALMERSTON NORTH CITY Masterton

Carterton Tasman

NAPIER CITY

Rangitikei

South Taranaki

NELSON CITY

Taupo

WairoaStratford

Hastings

Stratford

Ruapehu

South Wairarapa

PORIRUA CITY UPPER HUTT CITY WELLINGTON CITY HUTT South CITY Wairarapa

Westland

Selwyn Ashburton

Hurunui

Waimakariri CHRISTCHURCH CITY Banks Peninsula

Mackenzie Timaru Queenstown-Lakes

Southland

DUNEDIN CITY Gore

Otekaieke Waikaura

Clutha WAITANGI

INVERCARGILL CITY

Using the new Window Schedule in H1/AS1, we have mapped out the Metro Glass Low E range against the performance values. The table on the next page illustrates which double glazing and which generic joinery system will work in each Climate Zone. For all housing with a window to wall ratio up to 30%, using a 16mm spacer.

For Climate Zones 1 and 2 equaling approximately 59% of the New Zealand population, there is a step change on 2nd November 2023. This change will see climate Zones 1 and 2 come into line with climate Zones 3 and 4 in respect of window R-Value requirements. In the diagram on the next page this is highlighted by an asterisk (*) for the specifications that would be compliant only in the 2022–2023 transition period.

We estimate that 60% of all housing projects are likely to use the schedule method. We also anticipate window system partners generally picking up the next layer of 30-40% window to wall ratio projects.

Waimate

Central Waitaki Otago

With Low E technology continuing to evolve and improve, so too has the Metro soft coat Low E range since its inception in 2013, it has grown from three options to four with an expansion into triple glazing and double Low E triple glazed units. Triple glazing is not required for the new building code compliance, but it is an option for those wanting further thermally performance.

For all Housing and Buildings less than 300m2, there are the following compliance options available: • Schedule (H1/AS1) 0- 30% window to wall ratio (Table shown) • Calculation (H1/VM1) 0-40% window to wall ratio • Modelling (H1/VM2) > 40% window wall ratio

Kaikoura Grey

Metro has been servicing the New Zealand market with Low E coated glass for 20 years, from its geographical spread processing plants. In fact, the Metro processing sites cover Climate Zones 1, 3 and 5 for local knowledge and service.

The original Low E coatings were but a steppingstone to the new soft coat technology. New solar control Low E’s also reduce solar heat gain, not dissimilar to body tinted glass, while keeping the home warm and letting in more natural light.

Chatham Island County

The biggest impacts through the transition are a move away from standard aluminium frames and standard double glazing.

This move will see Low E double glazing and more thermally efficient joinery as standard. With an average 35-50% of heat lost in standard homes through windows, this has been a key driver in the building code updates. The intention of the changes is a 40% reduction housing and small buildings energy use.

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For buildings other than housing greater than 300m2 there is no published schedule.

• Compliance is by Calculation (H1/AS2) (H1/VM2) • Curtain wall excluded from (H1/AS2) refer (H1/VM2) Metro Glass compliance information is available via our sales network, Window Partners and: www.metroglass.co.nz/window-glazing/ window-specifying-new-homes/

The schedule method is a good guide of what is possible, however it can only be used compliance where: – The glazing area is 30% or less of the total wall area – Calculation can be used for 0–40% or Modelling >40% for these it may be possible to use a lower performing glass or frame on the margins *U value is centre of glass (in W/m2.K) calculated for glass oriented vertically, with proprietary software using CEN boundary conditions. Other space U Value data freely available from Metro Glass website.

Note Argon Gas in Classic Double Glazing coming 2022. **Step change to R0.46 2nd November 2023 for Climate Zones 1 and 2.

Metro Performance Glass. Metro Performance Glass are Strategic Partners of NZCB and New Zealand’s leading supplier of Double Glazing, Retrofit, Frameless Glass Balustrades, Showers, Mirrors & Splashbacks.

Supplying New Zealand homes and businesses for over 30 years. For more information visit www.metroglass.co.nz or call 0800 545 800.

IN THE KNOW —

Big Building Code changes see builders up-skilling There are some substantial changes coming for the Building Code, and many builders are upping their skills and knowledge ahead of these updates by using the new updated version of Homestar, the green home rating scheme.

These much needed changes to the Code are intended to make new homes in Aotearoa better insulated, improve fresh air circulation, and slash the carbon pollution from our homes.

The average new house in New Zealand emits five times too much carbon pollution, and the revamped Homestar will play a key role in tackling this. Both the new version of Homestar, and the changes to the Building Code reflect the rapidly growing demand for carbon emissions to be slashed.

calculator is at the forefront of helping New Zealand builders standardise how this should be done.

The other way homes emit carbon pollution is through using energy to power and run a home. These emissions are often called ‘operational carbon’.

The government is working to reduce the carbon pollution from homes and buildings, which are responsible for 20 per cent of climate heating pollution in New Zealand.

For operational energy use and carbon emission calculations, the new Homestar includes for the first time ever an online Energy and Carbon Calculator for Homes (ECCHO). ECCHO will bring some of the robust methodology and science of the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) calculator to designers and assessors across Aotearoa.

Builders building homes to Homestar will get valuable experience in building above the current Building Code, and readying themselves for the big new requirements of the enhanced Building Code, which is heading down the slipway.

ECCHO has also been listed as an approved modelling tool under the changes to Building Code clause H1 that were published late last year, and that become mandatory from the end of 2022.

The new version of Homestar aligns with the government programme, called Building for Climate Change. This will allow builders using Homestar to develop the skills and knowledge needed for upcoming changes.

The New Zealand Green Building Council offer an array of regular education and training sessions, including on the new Homestar. The not-for-profit organisation also has a host of on demand educational videos available, which are free to members. Find out for at https://www.nzgbc.org.nz/eventshub.

Builders constructing Homestar rated homes can now demonstrate how they’re using sustainable materials that don’t pump out huge amounts of carbon pollution when manufactured. This type of carbon pollution, which has been belched into the atmosphere during the production of building materials, is often called ‘embodied carbon’. The newest version of Homestar includes an embodied carbon calculator, helping builders and designers to work out the levels of carbon emitted during the manufacture of the building materials.

Calculating the amount of carbon pollution resulting from the production, assembly and transportation of building components can be quite tricky and this embodied carbon

Almost 5,000 new homes were registered under Homestar in the last year.

If you’d like to know more about the carbon calculators, or anything else about Homestar, then please get in touch with the Green Building Council’s Homestar expert Matthew Cutler-Welsh on 09 951 0732 or drop a line to the Homestar team on homestar@nzgbc.org.nz.

New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) is a not-for-profit team of people who are passionate advocates for better buildings, because we know that better buildings mean healthier, happier Kiwis.

For more information visit www.nzgbc.org.nz

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IN THE KNOW —

Seven features of a successful building company

2

Pretty much everybody who starts out in business has a dream of one day owning a successful and profitable company that provides them with a comfortable and enjoyable life. Some builders achieve this, which is great, but many don’t. Many suffer a rollercoaster of emotions and financial results and seldom feel in control of their destiny.

In my years of working with builders I have seen successful builders who still want to do better and struggling builders who just want to reach some stability. I have helped builders at both ends of the scale to move to a better place and over those years I have seen a pattern of where success comes from and how to assist in replicating it. Although there are many factors that go into growing a successful company, I have picked my top seven to feature in this article. Get these right and you are well on the way to achieving your dreams.

1

Have a plan and implement it It would be extremely unusual for you to start a building project without a set of plans to guide you in its construction. These plans are usually very comprehensive and come with a long list of specifications.

Confident, but not cocky Being in business, especially construction, is not for the faint hearted. It is a hard, risky business and sometimes hard, risky (but not too risky) decisions need to be made. Making those decisions and bringing people with you requires a level of confidence. Making no decision in a situation can often be worse, so the ability to gather the necessary information, seek others’ opinions and then make a decision is vital to keep your business moving forward.

Having a plan with a clear vision and mission to guide you will also help. Part of the decision-making process is checking whether a particular decision will take you off course or help you to stay on course. Having the right level of confidence will help push back against overly demanding customers who are attempting to drive down your price and deny you a fair profit.

You need to have the confidence to hold a sustainable price or walk away.

Why is it then that most people attempt to build their business with no plan?

A business plan acts like a rudder on a ship. It helps to keep you on course for where you want to go, helps make minor course directions when external forces push you off your path and helps keep you away from dangers. But it can be confusing. Google “business plan template” and you receive about 1.5 billion results! Total overwhelm and most plans don’t suit your average Kiwi builder. That is why I typically use a simple one or two-page plan model for my clients.

It provides the longer-term direction you need but is also useful in focusing on the short-term actions needed to make real progress.

The best plans are useless however if they are consigned to the bottom draw and seldom, if ever, referred to. A plan won’t magically make your business grow by sitting in a drawer.

It must be implemented, adjusted, actioned and updated on a weekly, quarterly and yearly basis. It should be a systematic process that ticks periodically, not just a one-off event that is then forgotten about.

A plan won’t magically make your business grow by sitting in a drawer.

But you need balance. Letting your ego get in the way can be as bad as being too meek and not making a decision. The best business owners I see are those who are confident, but not cocky. The sign of a good leader is someone who can park their ego, be more humble and seek the opinion of others.

Someone who takes the blame on themselves when things go wrong and praises the team when things go right.

3

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“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”.

– Henry Ford

Know your numbers

You cannot hope to keep a construction company on track for success unless you have a reasonable understanding of the key numbers in your business.

As mentioned earlier construction is a hard, risky business.

It is also rather “lumpy” in its cash flow and sometimes difficult to read what the underlying trends are. Because of these features it is even more important to develop a regular reporting process, so you are better able to take some corrective actions sooner when things are trending the wrong way. By the time your accountant gets round to completing your end-of-year accounts, it may be too late.

Put some measuring processes in place and then get in the habit of looking at the numbers on a regular basis so you can better control your business and therefore your life.

You need to know: • how much monthly revenue you need; • what Gross Margin you need to be hitting on projects; • how “liquid” the company is; • how efficient your labour is; and • how are you running against your budget.

I would guess that less than 20% of builders have a really good handle on their numbers on a regular basis. Guess what? These 20% are probably making the best profits.

5

Pick a niche and dominate With the construction industry so buoyant currently, why is niche marketing so important? That’s a fair question and many builders prefer to go wide with their customer target for fear of running out of work. Being a generalist does have its advantages.

• Different job types to help with team skill training.

• Larger volume of leads (maybe).

Actually, that’s about all the advantages I can think of. Looking at developing a market niche (or two) to focus on may appear a braver path to go down, but being a bigger fish in a smaller pool, rather than a small fish in a bigger pool, has its advantages too. For example: • More effective advertising • Cheaper marketing costs • Being viewed as the expert • More efficient (thus lower cost) field operations • Able to charge higher prices • Better understanding of customer needs and emotional “hot buttons”

So, what are the key areas of your company that you would like to have more up to the minute information on? Do you have some SPECIFIC targets you are aiming for on an annual basis? Put some measuring processes in place and then get in the habit of looking at the numbers on a regular basis so you can better control your business and therefore your life.

4 6

I think the benefits outweigh the negatives, if the niching process is carried out well and followed through consistently. Leads in nonniche areas will still probably come to you anyway, from past clients and the like, so you can still say yes to those jobs if you wish. The niching process is more in how you proactively market your business to attract new leads in your favoured area. So, how could you niche your business?

Build a great team and lead them

Ask most people in business “who is the most important person in your company” and most will answer “the customer”. Hard to argue with that because without a customer you don’t have a business.

Build a solid sales process

$

Selling is often an area that builders feel uncomfortable in. Images of used car salesmen come to mind, twisting peoples’ arms up their backs to cut a deal on a car that may not even suit their needs. Selling however, is a vital area in business and thankfully like any business skill can be learnt and refined.

I believe first equal place should be “your team”. And by team, I don’t mean a bunch of labour-only subcontractors who float in and out on a whim. By team, I mean a group of motivated and engaged members, who share in your vision and mission and who you can rely on, to consistently deliver the standard and volume of work that aligns with what the customer is paying for.

It may take you some time to develop such a team, but it is vital to allow you to build a true business that relies less and less on your own efforts and more and more on the team below you. It comes down to your leadership and how you delegate down responsibilities and resources to your team. In the book Extreme Ownership, the authors say, “There are no bad teams, only bad leaders”. Being a good leader is therefore vital to the development and performance of the team. You should spend some time developing the skills and systems that will help you become a good leader and train your foremen and supervisors on how to be good leaders too.

Most people are not natural born salesmen. Many of us are a bit introverted and prefer to be out there building stuff, rather than quoting jobs and trying to convert them into future work. Therefore, developing a clear and documented sales system framework will help. It enables you to focus on improving the PROCESS, rather than just feeling you need to improve your personal sales skills.

A good sales system will help you: • • • •

build better trust with customers quicker; filter out the time wasters; move customers steadily along the process; and make it seem way more unpressured and natural. continues....

31

IN THE KNOW —

... from page 31

Get you out of the ship’s engine room and on to the bridge!

In order to move the business to a place where it can really grow and flourish, you need to be able to develop and document systems to help do the heavy lifting for you.

As your business grows you may even have other team members take over the sales function from you, so having a documented process to follow will help facilitate this.

Systems allow you to consistently produce the same results for customers without you being everywhere. They will prevent fires from breaking out and allow you to move out of lower value task areas and focus on the more important areas of the business.

7

Which brings me on to my last point…

Build systems to replace yourself Michael Gerber in his book The E-Myth, talks about the journey of a business owner from Technician to Manager to true Entrepreneur.

For help in reviewing your business strategies and direction reach out to me for a complementary strategic review session. Email: andy@tradescoach.co.nz or call: 027 688 6721.

Most people do not make it to the entrepreneur stage and become stuck at the lower levels.

The hardest level to go past is often the technician one.

This is where the owner feels that he or she must do or control everything themselves – “Nobody can do it as well as me” or “I don’t trust anyone else”. This is a recipe for burnout.

Andy Burrows, Director of The Trades Coach and NZCB National Partner. I encourage you to take advantage of a free business strategy review session to see how we can improve your business performance. Call Andy today on 027 688 6721 or email andy@tradescoach.co.nz.

Sustainability updates

Environmental sustainability continues to be a high priority at Winstone Wallboards. Throughout 2021 we’ve been working to improve our sustainability position particularly around improving the availability of plasterboard offcut recycling options.

GIB® Plasterboard Offcut Recycling

with ‘Onsite Tips’ and designers with ‘Design Tips’ to

Working with a diverse range of waste collection

support the building industry minimising construction waste

businesses from around the country plasterboard offcut

especially as landfill disposal costs continue to increase

site collection services are currently available in Auckland,

year on year.

Nelson, Christchurch and Queenstown with further regional services on track to be introduced throughout 2022. There are also a growing number of regional council offcut collection points at landfill sites as well as a growing number of composting companies looking to accept plasterboard offcuts into their operations.

Composting Guidelines Why you should consider including Gypsum into composting products is outlined on our ‘Plasterboard composting guidelines’. It covers best practice guidance through to the many benefits composting brings

Why does this all matter? Because not only does it reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, but the gypsum that’s extracted from the plasterboard offcuts is reused for compost and other agricultural products.

Environmental Certifications Winstone Wallboards’ holds a number of environmental certifications to help support your project including

To learn more about recycling options for GIB plasterboard

an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for

including a list of current providers go to gib.co.nz/

GIB® plasterboard and other certifications such as

sustainability/

Global GreenTag and Declare. In 2021, GIB Aqualine®,

®

GIB Weatherline®, GIB Barrierline®, GIB Toughline® and

Minimising Plasterboard Waste Most of us know that plasterboard offcuts are among the largest contributors to site construction waste, and to

GIB Toughline® Aqua became the GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) Ecolabel certification which is a recognised ecolabel on both sides of the Tasman.

effectively tackle the problem everybody has a part to play.

Moving in to the New Year and reflecting on 2021, we take

Clear ownership and accountability for waste minimisation,

great pride in our achievements and new partnerships. But

both during design and construction, is essential, and

the journey is far from over, we look forward to having an

reducing the amount of plasterboard waste created on

even greater impact on all things green in 2022 and beyond.

site is a vital piece of the puzzle. That’s why our team has developed a series of practical steps to help installers

FEBRUARY 2022

GIB® HELPLINE 0800 100 442 OR GIB.CO.NZ FOR MORE INFO

FROM NZCB —

NZCB Conference and Expo 2022 Resilience and Recovery

NEW DATES

17th to 19th November Claudelands Events Centre Hamilton

2021 was quite a year. The building industry has been left reeling from the effects of COVID-19.

Mainly due to timber shortages, material supply issues, and labour shortages. Climate change also caused major havoc for builders and can’t be ignored. With most building work initially suspended under alert level 4, building companies have struggled to manage cash flow, retain staff, and remain viable.

Members Only Annual General Meeting

Thursday 16th June | 6:00pm to 7:30pm Due to COVID-19 restrictions the New Zealand Certified Builders Annual General Meeting will now take place prior to this year’s Conference and Expo, on Thursday 16th June at 6:00pm, online via Zoom.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel with strong consumer demand for alterations, additions, and new home builds. Resent research of our members suggests this growth will remain constant for the next 12 months.

Moving forward, the building industry boom will start to slow down and there will be a need for more resilience as we learn to live with the effects of COVID-19. How will we do this? By showing strong leadership, looking after our staff wellbeing, keeping communication lines open, helping each other, and learning from our past experiences.

With this in mind, the theme for the 2022 New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Conference and Expo is Resilience and Recovery. This will be an invaluable opportunity for you to network with trade industry experts and like-minded builders/ members in a face-to-face and casual setting, while ensuring you and your staff are upto-date with the continual changes within the building and construction industry.

See page 3 of this issue of InHouse for more information.

Conference and Expo Friday 18th and Saturday 19th November Claudelands Events Centre Friday 18th – the first official day of the Conference and Expo, we have an amazing line-up of keynote and educational speakers to get you thinking and motivated. Keynote speakers this year include Dr Lucy Hone, Adjunct Senior Professor at the University of Canterbury, Tony Alexander, economics speaker and writer and Professor John Tookey from Auckland University of Technology.

Saturday 19th –the second day of the Conference and Expo, is all about up-skilling and educating you, and your team on current and relevant industry topics. Whether you’re an individual member, business member, work on-site or behind the scenes in the office, our dedicated Workshop Streams have something for everyone with: • Stream one focusing on Leadership.

• Stream two focusing on New to business.

• Stream three focusing on Apprentices.

The Expo Area is open throughout the duration of the Conference and Expo, with the addition this year of dedicated expo time on both days to allow you extra time to get around all the expo stands. The perfect opportunity to catch up, stay up-to-speed, and meet face-to-face with the 100 industryspecific, trade partners ready to showcase their latest services and products.

Dress code: Smart casual

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Keynote speakers Ben Hurley Professional Speaker / MC Conference and Expo MC Star of hit TV3 Show 7 Days – Ben Hurley is one of the standout success stories of New Zealand comedy. Winner of all of the major comedy awards including the coveted Billy T Award, and the NZ Comedy Guild awards for Best Male Comedian and Best MC.

each week, writes a weekly column for OneRoof, has a weekly video blog, and speaks at about 80 functions a year around New Zealand. He also runs six monthly surveys which give coalface insight into what is happening in New Zealand industry and the housing market in particular.

Professor John Tookey Professor of Construction Management, AUT One of the few Kiwi acts to be invited to perform on the prestigious Comedy Supply chain update Store TV show. Also, one of the stars of the UK Festival Circuit playing to thousands in the comedy tents at Reading and Leeds Festival, Bestival and Latitude.

Ben also starred alongside British comic, Andy Parsons, in a new BBC Radio for sitcom The Lost Blog of Scrooby Trevithick.

Ben has wowed audiences around the globe; including Switzerland, Dubai, Spain, Australia, Singapore and Bahrain.

Tony Alexander Economics Speaker and Writer Outlook for home building Tony Alexander was Chief Economist at the BNZ for almost 25 years and has been out on his own as an independent economist since late-2019. He distributes the free weekly Tony’s View publication to near 23,000 subscribers

Dr John Tookey is a Professor of Construction Management at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Over a number of years, he has been responsible for establishment of various new programmes undergraduate and post graduate programmes at AUT, including BE(Hons) Construction and Architectural Engineering and latterly the new Bachelor of Construction (Construction Management) and (Quantity Surveying).

His key areas of research are related to construction logistics, supply chain management and procurement.

As a result, he undertakes various industry based/funded research, in conjunction with various companies and professional bodies.

In addition, Professor Tookey is a regular commentator in various broadcast media including radio, TV and press addressing construction engineering and housing issues in New Zealand.

35

Dr Lucy Hone Director NZ Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience Strategies for coping when ‘stuff’ happens Dr Lucy Hone is an Adjunct Senior Professor at the University of Canterbury, a co-director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, a published academic researcher and best-selling author and blogger for Psychology Today.

Having been trained by the thought-leaders in wellbeing science, at the University of Pennsylvania, Lucy went on to attain her PhD in public health at AUT University in Auckland. She now assists organisations – from government departments, to leading law firms and schools – to design and implement wellbeing and resilience initiatives creating sustained and meaningful change.

A member of the NZAPP Executive Committee, conference convenor for Wellbeing in Education NZ, and New Zealand’s only representative of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN), Lucy’s research has been published in several peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Positive Psychology, Social Indicators Research, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the International Journal of Wellbeing and NZ Journal of Human Resources Management.

Her best-selling book Resilient Grieving is published in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and England and her latest book, The Educators’ Guide to Wholeschool Wellbeing is published by Taylor & Francis London and is a global publication for the UK, Asia, US and Australasia.

Her TED talk, Three Secrets of Resilient People, has had over 3 million views and has been translated into 15 different languages. After being promoted to the official TED platform, Dr Lucy’s TEDx has been recognised globally as one of the top 20 TED Talks of 2020.

NZCB Conference and Expo 2022 | Resilience and Recovery

Events and functions

PlaceMakers Friday Night Mingler Friday 18th November | 7:00pm to 10:00pm SkyCity Hamilton Casino

Factory Tour Thursday 17th November | 9:30am to 4:15pm Only 100 spaces available

This year the PlaceMakers Friday Night Mingler will be held from 7:00pm at the SkyCity Hamilton Casino. The Friday Night Mingler is the most popular evening function and is attended by both trade partners and conference delegates.

Food stations and beverages will be available throughout the evening and entertainment will include the conclusion of an electronic silent auction to raise funds for the Apprentice Scholarship Trust (AST) and a ‘casino night’. We have organised for staff from the casino to teach attendees how to play blackjack or roulette – with fake money.

As a lead up to the Conference and Expo, join us on Thursday 17th November, for an educational tour with a little fun along the way at APL Window Solutions and Good George Brewery.

Starting at APL Window Solutions your tour will include visits to INEX, Anodising/Thermal, PPL (design and innovation), Colourworks (powder coating) and APL Window Solutions itself as well as morning tea and lunch.

Finally, your day will conclude with beer tasting, at Good George Brewery.

Dress code: Business attire

Attendees will be picked up at 9:00am from the Claudelands Events Centre and returned by 4:15pm.

ITM Awards Dinner

Please Note: Factory Tour locations are subject to change due to availability.

Saturday 19th November | 7:00pm to midnight Claudelands Events Centre

Dress code: Smart casual with closed in shoes

With a Casino Royale/James Bond theme, we will be celebrating in style for the grand finale of the 2022 NZCB Conference and Expo, from 7:00pm at the ITM Awards Dinner on Saturday 19th.

The Claudelands Events Centre will help us host a fanciful affair to celebrate and to announce the winners of the 2022 NZCB Apprentice Challenge sponsored by ITM. Join us for a three-course meal and let your hair down for the evening with one of Hamilton’s busiest professional cover bands The Monroes.

Dress code: Fancy dress or formal Theme: Casino Royale/James Bond

Spouse/Partner High Tea Friday 18th November | 10:30am to 2:45pm Zealong Tea Estate Will your spouse/partner be accompanying you but their unsure if they’d like to attend the Conference and Expo on Friday? We’ve organised the ultimate high tea excursion at Zealong Tea Estate for them to enjoy.

Zealong Tea Estate is widely regarded as a Waikato icon and is the only commercial tea estate in New Zealand offering serene views and producing 100% organic award-winning tea. The high tea will include a culinary experience with a thoughtfully crafted selection of savouries, sandwiches, sweets and beverages.

Attendees will be picked up at 10:30am from the Claudelands Events Centre and returned by 2:45pm.

Please Note: This tour is subject to change and may be cancelled if a minimum number of 40 guests is not reached.

Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race and Happy Hour Friday 18th November | 5:00pm to 6:00pm Claudelands Events Centre From 5:00pm on Friday 18th, join us for the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race and Happy Hour.

Don’t miss the thrills and spills as the 2022 NZCB Apprentice Challenge Regional Finalists go head-to-head in the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race. Support your region or favourite while enjoying nibbles and a beverage in this action-packed Happy Hour.

Dress code: Smart casual NOTE: With the transition to the COVID-19 Protection Framework (traffic light system) on 3 December 2021, all guests 12 years and above who will be attending the NZCB Conference and Expo, events and all evening functions will need to be fully vaccinated and present a current vaccine pass to enter the premises. This is a requirement for all conference event locations and has been requested by the venues.

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Accommodation Accommodation will fill up fast so we highly recommend you start looking now.

To assist members, we have secured a number of hotel/motel rooms within the Hamilton and Cambridge areas (listed below).

Hamilton Central accommodation

To book a room, please quote: NZCB2022.

Cambridge accommodation

Ramada by Wyndham Hotel HHHH 20-minute walk to Claudelands 287 Victoria Street, Hamilton Phone: 07 839 4993 www.wyndhamhotels.com/ramada

Abbots Hamilton HHH 30-minute walk to Claudelands 222 Ulster Street, Hamilton Phone: 07 838 3299 www.abbotshamilton.co.nz

Hidden Lake Hotel HHHH 24-minute drive to Claudelands 34E Lake Street, Cambridge Phone: 07 282 1593 www.hiddenlakehotel.co.nz

Heartland Ambassador Hotel HHHH 27-minute walk to Claudelands 86 Ulster Street, Hamilton Phone: 07 839 5111 www.booking.com/hotel/nz/ retro-motel.html

Mill Lodge HHH 27-minute walk to Claudelands 135 Ulster Street, Hamilton Phone: 07 838 1282 www.milllodge.nz

Kelly Road Lodge HHHH 21-minute drive to Claudelands 1 Kelly Road, Cambridge Phone: 07 282 0578 www.kellyrd.co.nz

Auto Lodge Motel HHHH 34-minute walk to Claudelands 298 Ulster Street, Hamilton Phone: 0800 524 232 www.autolodgemotel.co.nz

Podium Lodge HHH 21-minute drive to Claudelands 20 Peake Road, Cambridge Phone: 07 974 1710 www.podiumlodge.co.nz

Park View Motor Lodge HHHH 26-minute walk to Claudelands 450 Tristram Street, Hamilton Phone: 0800 727 584 www.parkviewmotorlodge.co.nz Albert Court Motor Lodge HHHH 29-minute walk to Claudelands 29 Albert Street, Hamilton Phone: 07 929 4047 www.albertcourt.co.nz

Novotel Hamilton Tainui HHHH 17-minute walk to Claudelands 7 Alma Street, Hamilton 07 838 1366 https://all.accor.com/hotel/2159/ index.en.shtml

Pricing All costs below are excluding GST and are per person Thursday Factory Tour $100.00 Includes morning tea, lunch, beer tasting and bus to and from Claudelands Events Centre Friday Spouse/Partner High Tea Includes high tea, drinks and bus to and from Claudelands Events Centre

$100.00

Registration (two days) Registration to attend both the Friday and Saturday of the Conference and Expo. Includes morning tea and lunch for both days.

$145.00

Register now!

PlaceMakers Friday Night Mingler at SkyCity Hamilton Casino Includes drinks and canapés

$80.00

www.events.nzcb.nz

Saturday Night ITM Awards Dinner Includes drinks and a three-course meal

$110.00

37

IN THE KNOW —

What is a Caveat and how can it help you get paid?

Everyone occasionally experiences the frustration of not being able to get someone to pay a debt that they are owed, but those of you who are in business are particularly vulnerable to this because most of you sell your goods or services on credit. That means you deliver your side of the bargain first and hope to be paid later.

There are two reasons why your customers may not pay you – either because they can’t, or because they won’t. If they won’t pay, that could be because they genuinely believe they don’t owe you the debt, or they believe they have a counterclaim against you that cancels the debt out. But in some cases, it may simply be because they are dishonest or deluded. And in those situations, or where your customer never had any hope of paying you, then you need all the help you can get.

One way you can improve your chances of getting paid is to register a caveat against the title to your customer’s land.

That means that as long as the caveat remains in place, your customer can’t register a transfer, lease, mortgage or similar dealing with the land that would undermine your rights in the land, at least without notifying you and giving you a chance to uphold those rights.

There is a common misconception that everyone can register a caveat automatically, but it isn’t true.

Naturally that shouldn’t worry the owners if they aren’t planning to do something with the title any time soon, but it is surprising how often the mere existence of the caveat does trouble them regardless. And of course, if the owner does have such plans, then it gives you major leverage.

There is a common misconception that everyone can register a caveat automatically, but it isn’t true. To be eligible to register a caveat you must have what’s called an “estate or interest” in your customer’s land, or the customer must hold the land in trust for you.

There is a wide range of estates or interests in land, but they generally have to be granted to you by the owner. For example, the owner might have agreed to give you an easement over it, or to sell it to you, lease it to you, or mortgage it to you.

Normally you could register all of those on the title, which gives you much better protection than simply registering a caveat.

But the situations where you would register a caveat instead are where those rights have not been formalised, so they don’t yet meet the strict criteria for registration, or they never will.

In the building context, contractors often protect themselves by getting the owners to agree to give them a mortgage (usually ranking after the Bank’s mortgage) over the building site, in case the owners either can’t or won’t pay them.

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The contracts you get from New Zealand Standards or the Institute of Architects don’t have the agreement to grant a mortgage in them but the New Zealand Certified Builders contracts do.

The agreement to grant a mortgage is typically found in the building contract itself. The contracts you get from New Zealand Standards, or the Institute of Architects don’t have them, but those you get from New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB), Master Builders, or the high-volume residential building franchises usually do. The owners aren’t expected to sign a formal mortgage like the Bank requires them to do, because the time and cost involved would be out of all proportion to the risk to the builder and the duration of the building project. Instead, the mere “agreement to mortgage” is sufficient to entitle the builder to register the caveat.

It is way harder for the builder to exercise the rights under the mortgage (such as to confiscate the rental from the property, lease the property to someone else, or to sell it) than it is for a Bank under a registered mortgage. Generally, that isn’t the builder’s intention, and the right to register a caveat is all he wants.

The agreement to mortgage shouldn’t worry the owners if they are not in default under the building contract, because there is no debt for the builder to recover, and the rights under the mortgage aren’t triggered. Even if the builder maintains there is a debt, but the owners dispute it, they have nothing to be concerned about unless that dispute is resolved in the builder’s favour, and they don’t abide by the outcome.

Nevertheless, agreements to mortgage do tend to make some owners nervous, and for that reason they are generally the first thing that the owners ask to be crossed out of the building contract if they want it modified. In the NZCB Fixed Price + contract they are clauses 20.5-20.8, and in the NZCB Cost & Mark-up contract they are clauses 19.5-19.8.

When the relevant clauses aren’t deleted, but the property owners later take exception to the builder registering a caveat on their title, they can still do something about it. They may be able to persuade or coerce the builder into withdrawing

the caveat. Or they can apply to the High Court to have the caveat removed (which is obviously an expensive process and won’t succeed unless they have solid grounds).

Alternatively, the Court may uphold the caveat on an interim basis but only on condition that the builder compensates the owners if he ultimately fails to prove his caveat was justified. But once again a confident builder won’t have any problem giving that undertaking.

Finally, they can ask the Registrar-General of Land under section 143 of the Land Transfer Act 2017 to give notice to the builder to commence proceedings in the High Court to sustain the caveat, failing which it will be removed.

Ideally you want the building contract description to be an exact mirror image of the title description.

That third option is usually the preferred option because it is quick and economical to do. A lot of contractors will baulk at the thought of commencing proceedings in the High Court, with all the cost and stress that that entails, so they just throw in the towel and allow the caveat to lapse. Once they have done that, they can’t register the same caveat again without a Court order, and in the meantime, they risk having the property transferred or re-mortgaged so there is no equity left in it.

So, caveats are useful, but there is no guarantee you will be able to register one even if the relevant clauses haven’t been deleted.

What often trips builders up is that the parties who are described as the owners on the title to the property, aren’t described in exactly the same way in the building contract. Or they are described the same, but not all of them sign the building contract. Ideally you want the building contract description to be an exact mirror image of the title description, and you want all of them to sign.

But where the owner is up against a determined builder, using the section 143 procedure is a risky gamble. That is because if the builder has a legitimate estate or interest in the land all along (such as an agreement to mortgage in the building contract), he may well apply to the Court, and win. In that event, the owners end up paying not only their own legal costs but also roughly two thirds of the builder’s legal costs as well. And the caveat remains.

To avoid those complications, it’s critical to get a copy of the title to the property before you fill out the building contract. Either your normal conveyancing lawyer can do that for you – or we can – and either way the cost should be minimal compared to the benefit to be gained.

It may be possible for the owners to persuade the Court to dispense with the caveat regardless, by paying the disputed money into Court to be held there until the dispute is ultimately resolved. But that will only work if the building project is at an end and there is no prospect of there being further disputed debts, because the agreements to mortgage in building contracts are usually intended to remain in force from the beginning to the end of the project.

Geoff Hardy is a partner in the Auckland law firm Martelli McKegg Lawyers and is a construction law specialist.

Geoff also operates the Business Related Legal helpline for NZCB members, contact Geoff on 09 379 0700 or geoff@martellimckegg.co.nz for 20 minutes of free advice.

This article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice.

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IN THE KNOW —

Restraints of Trade –

are they worth the paper they’re written on?

Restraints of Trade (ROTs) are a hot topic right now in light of Tova O’Brien’s well publicised litigation with Discovery NZ who she sought to leave to take up a similar position with Media Works NZ. In our extremely tight labour market, protecting your interests by securing key employees is more important than ever.

Many employees will sign up to ROTs, assuming they’re not worth the paper they’re written on. And, that is true for poorly draft ROTs, but if you get this key business protection tool right when an employee starts with you, you’ll have a lot more options for enforcement on departure if it comes to that.

In a nutshell, restraints are generally only enforceable for senior or specialised key roles, and to the extent that they allow you to secure your interests after an employee’s departure. For example, time to contact clients and let them know how they’ll be well taken care of after the key person leaves, maybe by introducing them to their replacement.

Strict limitations apply to enforcement because the law recognises that consumers have freedom of choice, and that employees must be allowed to make a living.

Case summary In O’Brien’s case, her ROT restrained her from working for a competing business anywhere in New Zealand for a period of three months. O’Brien argued that her new role as a radio show host captured a substantively different audience to her work as a political editor and therefore would not be in ‘competition’ for the purposes of her ROT. This was rejected, with the restraint period of three months being reduced to seven weeks, but otherwise upheld as Discovery NZ proved it had a propriety interest to protect.

This case highlights the practical issues with enforcing these types of provisions for both employer and employee, leaving O’Brien, for the moment, unable to commence her new role.

Message for Employers ROTs should be well drafted to ensure best prospects of enforcement, including consideration of practically what it is you are seeking to protect, and taking into account the possible worst-case scenario of competition by the employee.

For example: • The location of the employee – is a regional restraint reasonable or could you limit this to a specific town or radius? eg. 10km radius from the business site.

• What is special about the employee’s role that needs protection? eg. do they hold key relationships or trade secrets? Be specific about this.

• Is the employee starting a new job, needing a new or different restraint? If so this should be considered in the employment agreement offered to them.

• How long has the employee been employed for? If only a short length of time, a long restraint period will likely not be reasonable.

• Has the employee been paid for the restraint you seek?

• Is a non-competition restraint needed, or will a nonsolicitation restraint suffice?

For advice on protecting your business against employee departures, the team at Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers can help – give us a call on 0800 354 821 for a free 15-minute consultation.

You can also find a raft of resources on our website at www.coplandashcroft.co.nz, from articles on legal updates to e-resources covering a range of workplace law topics.

Disclaimer: We remind you that while this article provides commentary on employment law, health and safety and immigration topics, it should not be used as a substitute for legal or professional advice for specific situations. Please seek legal advice from your lawyer for any questions specific to your workplace.

Kate Ashcroft, Partner, of Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers.

Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers operate the NZCB Employment helpline and providing specialist advice, representation and support across employment, immigration and health and safety law, to businesses throughout New Zealand. Why us? We know what works, and partner with you to achieve the results you want. www.copelandashcroft.co.nz

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IN THE KNOW —

eInvoicing could be your biggest win in 2022 Over the coming months and beyond, a new way of invoicing is going to unlock some significant benefits for business and the economy. It’s called eInvoicing and it’s starting to roll out across New Zealand supported by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. eInvoicing is not turning an invoice into a PDF – which most cloud software does. Instead, it’s the direct exchange of information between any two ‘eInvoicing-capable’ systems.

This enables a low-touch, error-free process that the current practice of emailing a PDF or scanning a paper invoice can’t.

It’s estimated to cost less than $10 to process an eInvoice amounting to savings of $18.00 per paper invoice and $16.00 per PDF invoice. Also, buyers no longer need to manually input invoice data, reducing their costs, the risk of errors and making reconciliation and coding easier.

And behind it, is a government-backed eInvoicing network based on an international standard called Peppol, for smooth, secure transactions to different systems and markets.

To find out more talk to your business advisor or accountant, and check out eInvoicing at www.einvoicing.govt.nz

The smarter way to invoice MBIE Chief Financial Officer Stewart McRobie says that with over 280 million business-to-business invoices exchanged in New Zealand annually, savings to our economy through the efficiency and faster payment capability eInvoicing provides will be worth billions to businesses and the New Zealand economy.

“We know businesses could do with a boost in these difficult COVID-19 times. eInvoicing is an exciting next step for them, giving today’s accounting systems a new step up in capability, enabling businesses to be paid faster, improving cashflow and doing business more smoothly, safely and efficiently.

“It’s simply a smarter way to invoice and the more businesses that are eInvoice-enabled, the more they, and the economy, will benefit.”

The Government has committed to implementing eInvoicing across all central government agencies. Half will be ready by the end of March 2022, with the remaining planning to be eInvoicing receive capable soon after.

Mr Wierzbicki says that already there are more than 4,000 businesses who can receive eInvoices and this is rapidly growing.

“With thousands of small businesses already enabled and ready to send eInvoices they’re asking their buyers if they’re ready to receive them. So, if you’re not yet eInvoicing, now’s the time to get started.”

How to get started Becoming eInvoicing enabled is easy and free or low-cost for most small to medium businesses. Most accounting and finance software, including the likes of Xero, MYOB and Reckon, provide free or low-cost eInvoicing capability.

For large business with more complex systems, there will be some extra steps to transition to eInvoicing. And, as receivers of large volumes of invoices, significant savings can be realised through reduced processing and administration costs. eInvoicing can offer significant savings to business costs.

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Top five things to know about eInvoicing 1. eInvoicing is NOT sending a PDF invoice Unlike emailing or posting a PDF, eInvoices are sent electronically through the secure government-backed network right into the buyer’s financial system.

There’s no need to generate a PDF. 2. eInvoicing means faster payments and improved cashflow With this speedy direct exchange, information is validated as it passes through the network, reducing delays, making payments faster and improving cash flow.

3. Reduced processing costs eInvoicing is estimated to cost less than $10 per invoice amounting to savings of $18.00 per paper invoice and $16.00 per PDF invoice. Buyers also no longer need to input manually, reducing costs, the risk of errors and making reconciliation and coding easier.

4. Improved financial visibility eInvoicing allows for a lot of detail from each invoice to go directly into your finance system, providing better visibility and richer information. This supports you and your business to analyse, forecast, plan and budget, enabling more accurate financial management.

5. It’s easy and it’s free For most small businesses, eInvoicing is easy and free or low cost to get set up and started. More than 4000 businesses have registered for eInvoicing and the more that are eInvoice-enabled, the more they, and the economy, will benefit.

In 2019, MBIE became a Peppol Authority for eInvoicing (Pan-European Public Procurement Online interoperability framework). As a Peppol Authority, MBIE’s responsibilities include developing regional arrangements and requirements, overseeing local implementation of Peppol, on-boarding and accrediting Peppol access point providers, providing tools and resources to help businesses and agencies adopt eInvoicing.

IN THE KNOW —

Kiwi return to world rallying Kiwi rally star Hayden Paddon returns to global competition this year with the recent news that he and long-time co-driver John Kennard will drive a Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car in selected European events of the WRC2 category of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship. WRC2 is the home for all Rally2 cars, the sport’s second tier behind the new hybrid-powered Rally1 cars. In WRC2, drivers and co-drivers nominate seven scoring rounds and their best six results count towards the world championship.

After Europe, they’ll bring the Rally2 car home to contest Rally New Zealand, running 29 September to 2 October, when our iconic roads once again feature in the WRC – the first time since 2012.

Mitre 10 Trade continues its support for Paddon this year, following a highly successful debut partnership in 2021.

“Our first year working together brought some awesome experiences for our Trade customers,” says Mitre 10’s Head of Trade and Commercial, Lance Spalding.

“Even with our events calendar disrupted, the partnership enabled our customers to get behind the scenes with Hayden and his team. Hayden joined us at customer events, Trade BBQ breakfasts, a major Trade store opening, and our national conference.

“It’s fair to say our Trade teams and co-op members are now fully onboard, and our entire network of Trade stores from Kerikeri to Invercargill are right behind Hayden’s 2022 campaign. He and his Paddon Rallysport crew of talented young Kiwis have gained a lot of new fans here at Mitre 10 Trade and we’re backing him all the way to the top in 2022.”

I am really excited about doing this WRC2 campaign with our own Kiwi team.

Paddon, who counts Mitre 10 Trade among his key partners, is using this year’s WRC2 rallies in the 212kW Hyundai to prepare for a full seven-event campaign next year with the aim of winning the 2023 WRC2 Championship.

Kiwi star Hayden Paddon will compete in Europe and New Zealand this year. He’ll use this Hyundai AP4 car to target his sixth New Zealand rally championship title.

In an exciting twist, the New Zealand pair are taking their Kiwi engineers and technicians with them to Europe to create a 100% New Zealand rally team.

“I’m really looking forward to rallying in Europe again!” Hayden says, having not competed outside New Zealand for more than two years, with several possibilities to return to WRC competition interrupted by Covid restrictions.

“We have been trying so hard over the past two years to get back to the WRC. It’s been tough with everything going on in the world. So together with our commercial partners, we

Were you among the Mitre 10 Trade guests at the hillclimb?

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Hayden is rapt to have Mitre 10 Trade’s support to equip Paddon Rallysport with a massive array of brand-new power tools and equipment from Makita. “Our guys are stoked to now have the best gear to do their job,” Hayden says.

decided to take matters into our own hands, and launch a Kiwi team to take on the WRC2.

“I am really excited about doing this WRC2 campaign with our own Kiwi team. Of course, it’s going to be challenging but we have a clear target for this two-year programme, and we will be putting our best foot forward to try and achieve that.”

Hayden doesn’t underestimate the challenges ahead, not least with logistics and travel. “But we’re so proud to be taking a Kiwi team to these offshore events, along with some support in Europe and backed by an incredible line-up of New Zealand companies including Hyundai New Zealand and Mitre 10 Trade to make this unique campaign possible.”

About the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car

Hayden’s 2022 competition calendar (With Hyundai Kona EV rally car dates to be added) 8-10 April

Rally of Otago (NZRC, Hyundai AP4)

13-15 May

International Rally of Whangārei (NZRC, Hyundai AP4)

18 June

South Canterbury Rally (NZRC, Hyundai AP4)

14–17 July

Rally Estonia (WRC, Hyundai i20N Rally2)

4–7 August

Rally Finland (WRC, Hyundai i20N Rally2)

29 September – 2 October

Rally New Zealand (WRC, Hyundai i20N Rally2)

• 1.6-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged Hyundai Motorsport engine • Power output 285bhp (212kW) • 4-pot Brembo brakes front and rear • Permanent 4WD and 5-speed sequential gearbox • Sachs MacPherson suspension and Speedline 15” gravel wheels • 1230kg minimum weight

Before he heads to Europe to collect the Rally2 car, Hayden gets his New Zealand Rally Championship campaign underway with Rally Otago in April and the International Rally of Whangārei in May using the Hyundai AP4 rally car. Plus, he’s got a few events to add to his schedule for the Hyundai Kona EV car.

Meanwhile, he’s just won the Ben Nevis Station Golden 1200 Hillclimb for the second time. This is an event that Hayden created with the owners of Ben Nevis Station. He helps run it, while also driving the AP4 car in all-out, high-powered, dust-flinging hillclimb mode. This year he won with a best time 4 seconds faster than his winning time in 2020!

Is there anything our flying Kiwi can’t do?

Follow the action and join us for the ride on Mitre 10 Trade Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Mitre10Trade Mitre 10 Trade customers get access to competitive Trade pricing on a full range of leading and trusted building suppliers, backed up by one of New Zealand’s largest Trade store networks and a local Trade team with years of industry knowledge.

All via your Mitre 10 Trade or SmartMate account. mitre10.co.nz/trade

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HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLNESS —

Finding happiness How can we increase our Happiness when there is so much turmoil around us? It seems everywhere we look, there are challenges.

How do we increase our Happiness? Find more time to play!

Playing and having fun is not just for kids do to until they have to ‘grow up’ and enter the real world – it’s an essential and vitally important part of every single day of our lives.

Where did we ever get the notion that playing should be way down on the ‘to-do’ list and only fitted into our day if we still have time after all our jobs have been completed?

Put it back to the top of your to-do, and do something fun every single day! This could well be the best trigger for more Happiness in your life.

But the human race has been through tough times before.

We’ve overcome adversity, struggle, famines, wars and outbreaks. We’ve supported each other through some of the toughest of times, and we can do it again.

With this in mind, is it possible to get through the next few months of challenges and shortages not just surviving, but thriving?

Not only will it boost your mood and brighten your day to no end, it will also crank up your happiness levels to new heights, which in turn makes you a better person to be around, makes you more efficient and effective in your problem solving and work, and it makes you a more optimistic and successful person in all areas of your life.

Absolutely! And it all starts here.

Block out time in your day, every day (!!) to play and have fun, and get back to loving life.

Researchers have found a compounding effect or an ‘upward spiral’ which occurs with people who are happy and positively minded. Positive and happy emotions broaden our feelings of possibility and open our minds to new ideas and opportunities.

Forgotten how to play? Write down a list of all the things you loved to do both as a kid and an adult, and see how many you would still love to do.

This in turn allows us to develop new skills and find new resources which will provide value in all areas of our lives.

As a result, we are happier, more successful, and therefore kinder and more positive to those around us. This heightens our happy and positive emotions even further, and so the process repeats itself, resulting in an ‘upward spiral’ of happiness, optimism and opportunities.

In order to start this upwards spiral, we need to push the pause button on the negative thoughts, negative conversations and complaints and start framing everything in the positive – thinking and talking about what we do want, instead of what we don’t want.

When we do this, we are opening our minds to new ideas and solutions to help us. Our brains are incredible machines, and they believe what we repeatedly tell them.

Nerf guns wars with your kids or workmates? Bike rides, beach swims, hill climbs, dance-offs in your lounge with your family or flatmates, backyard cricket, party games, post funny bulletins or jokes each week on a humour bulletin board, do a fun cardio activity like playing touch rugby or basketball, or get creative and make something useful to keep. Swap ideas with your mates and implement fun activities to do with your workmates during the day.

To put it simply: Talk in the positive, seek happiness and play often. Your brain will do the rest.

Need help creating a positive culture within your Team? Contact me on 027 6836 777 or info@positivemindsetchallenge.com and we can make a time to discuss your needs.

‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old – we grow old because we stop playing.’

So, when you think and talk more often about the great outcomes you are wanting (rather than complaining about things going wrong), you will naturally start brainstorming new ideas and looking for new opportunities which match your thoughts, and start moving towards them.

– George Bernard Shaw Rachelle Hawes is the Director of Your Happy Place Limited.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in improving Mindset, Happiness and Success to their flagship Mindset Programme, the Positive Mindset Challenge. She is also a Social Entrepreneur dedicated to Sharing Kindness, Touching Hearts and Changing Lives. www.positivemindsetchallenge.com

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Helping you get the job done is our trade.

At Bunnings Trade, we know that in this competitive environment time is critical. Our dedicated Account Managers will help you manage your projects from start to finish. From organising quotes, to arranging your supply and delivery. They work with you to make sure you have what you need.

Find out how we can help your business at bunnings.co.nz/trade

Helping business is our trade.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLNESS —

The importance of reporting near misses and incidents Reporting and recording incidents are one of the most frequently asked about topics for the HazardCo Advisory Team, here’s the low-down of what you need to know.

Health and safety evidence Documentation is a key way of showing that health and safety is actively being managed on-site and provides evidence in areas like incident investigations and learnings that are shared from these. This can be in either digital or physical format.

By reporting all near misses and incidents on-site, everyone is working together to identify areas where you can better manage risks – it’s all about helping to prevent harm. Everyone on-site has a right to know of potential threats that may impact them, and everyone plays a role in protecting everyone else on-site.

Getting everyone to report near misses and incidents creates a culture of open, honest discussions about health and safety.

Encourage reporting and recording Best practice is that all incidents, whether they cause injury or not, need to be reported and added to your event register.

The more reporting you have, the more data is available for those in a position to influence change, as it can help them to see areas that require improvement or to see how effective implemented controls have been.

Encouraging the reporting of these incidents is simple with the HazardCo App: Everything is completed digitally on your team’s phone and the process is simple and easy to follow.

With remote reporting in the mobile App, your team no longer has to wait until they get home or to the office to report the incident. They can quickly do it while it’s still fresh.

Encourages conversation – with the App you can easily record and quickly pull up all incidents through the HazardCo Hub and discuss them in toolbox meetings.

All incidents are added to your digital event register which is easily accessible from the HazardCo Hub whenever you need to revisit.

No matter how big or small, report all near misses and incidents so you can all learn from them. Using the Report Incident feature on your HazardCo App, fill out the fields to capture what happened. Your completed report is available in the Hub, and HazardCo retains this for as long as you’re a member.

If medical treatment was required, it could be a notifiable event. So, at this point, the App will prompt you to call HazardCo, and our Advisory Team will talk you through what to do next and how to notify WorkSafe New Zealand.

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As well as taking photos of the incident scene, we’ll recommend you carry out a Site Review and communicate both the review and Incident Report findings to your own team and the wider site crew, by conducting a Toolbox Meeting.

Remember that it’s a legal requirement to keep these records for a minimum of five years so doing everything on the App helps ticks that box for you.

Near misses According to WorkSafe NZ, a near miss is defined as an incident that occurs but doesn’t lead to injury, illness, or damage.

No matter what working environment you are in, construction sites nationwide have near misses every day. On-site, a near miss could be tripping over stacked material, it could be dropping the hammer off the scaffold onto the ground or backing the truck and narrowly missing the boss’s ute. While these seem fairly innocent, they could have been more serious.

Like other incidents, these near misses need to be recorded and reported as soon as they occur. Once they have been, you can look into what caused the near-miss and put steps in place to avoid it turning into something more serious.

Reporting near misses Near misses should be considered the same as an incident.

But often they aren’t.

We often find that near misses are very rarely reported, and actually brushed off. We tend to find there are several recurring reasons why they are not reported:

Fear of blame – no one likes being singled out or used as an example of what not to do. This leads to people sweeping things under the rug.

‘She’ll be right’ attitude – maybe this is our Kiwi attitude but many tradies think a near miss is not worth reporting because an incident didn’t happen, or it was small.

Lack of leadership – if our managers aren’t diligent and reporting small risks or near misses then why would the rest of the team.

Near misses are just as dangerous as actual incidents. If you’ve had a near miss, you might have got lucky but someone else might not.

Treat near misses as a free learning tool to put controls in place to prevent more serious incidents from occurring.

Encourage near miss reporting, so you can start to see patterns and gain valuable insights on where to best focus resources into safety. Lots of reports of tools falling from height? Investing in and ensuring controls like the below are in place: Can the work be done on the ground?

Only taking the tools you need up at height

Securing the tools from falling with tethers or tool straps Are toe/kickboards in place on scaffolding?

Put in place a cordon below the work above Signage to indicate workers above Hard hats for workers below Don’t take near misses lightly. Report the incident as soon as it happens with the HazardCo App. Ensure you take incidents and near misses seriously and investigate them. Investigations help you work out the root cause so as to put in place corrective actions.

We all dread an incident occurring, but if anything serious happens on your site it’s important you are prepared, remain calm, and do the right thing. When in doubt, call HazardCo – we are here to support the health and safety needs of all HazardCo members 24/7.

If you need a hand getting started with HazardCo or would like more information, get in touch with the friendly HazardCo team today on 0800 555 339 or email info@hazardco.com.

Can work be done with no one below?

The HazardCo Team. HazardCo is a NZCB National Partner and, as your trusted safety partner, we provide you with the tools and support you need to #SortYourSafety.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLNESS —

Three ways to a pain free career A builder’s most important tool is their body, but it’s often the most overlooked on the toolbelt.

A recent survey of 800 Aussie tradies (see APA Tradies survey at: https://secure.chasnz.org/downloads/ APA_TradiesResearch.pdf) showed that 88% take care of their tools but only 60% do something to look after their bodies.

Admittedly these are challenging times to be a builder in New Zealand and the whole country is relying on them to deliver.

Thinking about preventing an injury could be the last thing on your mind but there’s a few reasons to give it some extra thought.

In 2020, there were 120 thousand days of lost work due to strains and sprains to Kiwi residential builders alone. The state of our bodies is becoming the last straw for those thinking of leaving the profession or having to retire early.

Many builders are already working with discomfort and pain as we saw at the 2021 New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Conference and Expo, where 98 out of 100 builders said they had current aches and pains. Preventing injury in building means doing small things with more care, which over time will make a huge difference to your body over the course of your career.

Here are three simple things you can focus on right now:

1. Get your work up off the ground This will save your back by reducing the thousands of times that you bend and work in a stooped position. Look for every opportunity to complete tasks between waist and shoulder level and avoid putting tools and material on the ground. Just about anything can be used to keep tools off the ground.

Sawhorses and trestles are there to cut and prepare materials.

Pallets can be used to raise and store materials off the ground.

Sitting, kneeling, and squatting should be preferred over stooping.

2. Reduce work above shoulder level As soon as your hands are working over shoulder height your shoulder becomes prone to developing problems over time.

The risk increases when you’re working this way for prolonged periods, holding weight or using force.

Take time when faced with lots of overhead work to reposition yourself. Ladders, step ladders and work platforms are key parts of your kit. Tools with longer handles and extensions are readily available for many tasks. If overhead work is unavoidable, make sure you take regular mini breaks and get your arms down when you can.

3. Avoid heavy loads Heavy loads are the number one cause of wear and tear on our bodies. Find better ways of moving heavy objects rather than hauling them by yourself. Don’t rely solely on team lifting as your only solution to move heavy weights as this is proven to not be failsafe.

Having dollies, sack barrows, wheelbarrows and trolleys as part of your kit will give you other options when you need them.

Better still, try to get things delivered and stored so you reduce the need to lift them in the first place. It comes down to planning and taking the time to think about other options. Smarten up don’t harden up needs to become a mantra for all builders.

Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ) and NZCB have joined forces to promote better ways to look after yourselves and prevent injuries with the Work Should Not Hurt Programme for Builders. Go to www.chasnz.org/wsnh or look for Work Should Not Hurt on Facebook to find resources for you and your teammates. You can also contact Chris Polaczuk on 0800 CHASNZ (0800 242 769), or email info@chasnz.org

Chris Polaczuk , Programme Manager Ergonomics, Construction Health and Safety NZ (CHASNZ). CHASNZ, a charitable trust developed with the objective of improving the lives of construction workers by raising the standard of health and safety culture and performance across the construction industry in New Zealand. For more information visit www.chasnz.org

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AROUND THE REGIONS —

Richard Poff NZCB Canterbury President

Christchurch’s Willowbank family day out On Sunday 20th February, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Canterbury Committee held a family day out at the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch.

The day opened with sunshine and was a fantastic opportunity for NZCB members to network and to connect, whilst spending time with their families in the serenity of a wildlife reserve.

This was the first event the Canterbury region had held since pre-lockdown, so it was pleasing to have a positive turn-out. With 65 adults and children in attendance, connections were formed, and a great day was had by all.

CANTERBURY

Above: NZCB member Grant West and his family.

Above: NZCB Canterbury President Richard Poff (on the left) welcoming NZCB members to the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.

Thanks to the NZCB Canterbury Committee who sponsored the entry fee for NZCB members and their immediate families into Willowbank Reserve, and to Resene Paints for supplying M&Ms give-aways – chocolate is always popular.

Above: NZCB member Simon McRae and his family.

Left: NZCB member Tim Le and his family, enjoying an early lunch.

NZCB members suit-up for Scooter Safari On Saturday 21st May, NZCB Canterbury President Richard Poff, NZCB Mid & South Canterbury President Dan Gallagher, and NZCB Southland President Paul Young will take part in the ‘Tranzalpine Scooter Safari,’ to raise funds for the Cancer Society of New Zealand.

The Scooter Safari is the ultimate endurance ride on a motorized scooter, where more than 400 participants travel from coast-to-coast, over the Southern Alps in Christchurch to Hokitika, a journey of over 250kms.

The Scooter Safari was designed to give participants a small insight into hardship, as the event is one of the coldest, longest, hardest and most gruelling tests of endurance on a city scooter. Although the Scooter Safari pales in comparison to the challenges people face in their cancer journey, it calls upon shared values of ‘Grit’ and determination.

The event aims to raise awareness and funds for the Cancer Society – when competitors sign up they are committed to raising at least $250 each.

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Please, help us raise awareness and funds with a small donation: To help Paul Young: https://scootersafari.org.nz/paul-young To help Richard Poff: https://scootersafari.org.nz/richard-poff To help Dan Gallagher: https://scootersafari.org.nz/dan-gallagher

Embracing craftsmanship in

a new light

Hear from this home’s architect at altherm.co.nz/good-as-gold G

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Featured project: Good as Gold by Bergendy Cooke, Tony Quirk Wanaka Builder and Design Windows Central Otago

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VIDEO

AROUND THE REGIONS —

Events Calendar INDUSTRY EVENTS COCONSTRUCT ONLINE TRAINING

Wed 13 Apr 10am – 12pm Wed 25 May 10am – 12pm Online via Zoom Get CoConstruct up and running in 2 hours!

In the ‘Getting Started with CoConstruct’ training, you’ll understand the basics of CoConstruct and you’ll have a clear plan of how you can score some quick wins for your business.

From the Getting Started with CoConstruct training, you will: 1. Know how to use the main CoConstruct features in your building company 2. Understand how using CoConstruct can benefit your business and reduce your workload 3. Have a clear path for implementing CoConstruct to achieve the biggest bang for your buck, in the shortest time 4. Understand how CoConstruct can be used for your team members For more information and to register visit: www.freeup.co.nz/coconstruct-training

CONZTRUCT TRADE SHOW

May LOCATION

DATE

TIME

VENUE

Whangārei

Mon 2 May

4pm – 7pm

McKay Stadium

Auckland South

Tue 3 May

3:30pm – 7pm Vodafone Events Centre

Hamilton

Wed 4 May 4pm – 7pm

Claudelands Events Centre

Taupō

Thu 5 May

Taupō Events Centre

4pm – 7pm

CONZTRUCT is for builders, electricians, architects, designers, and other specialist trades people to further their breadth of knowledge, education and gain a greater understanding of new product technologies. There’s LBP & CPD points available, lots of giveaways, complimentary food and beverages, and it’s FREE to attend!

For more information visit: www.conztruct.co.nz

ASIAN CONSTRUCTION EXPO

Sat 28 May 11am – 4pm Vodafone Events Centre | Auckland The Asian Construction Expo brings together leading industry suppliers, peak industry bodies, local government, builders, architects, designers, developers and other industry participants to share information that’s vital to the success of the industry.

For more information visit: www.asianconstructionexpo.co.nz

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FREE ENTRY!

NEXT GENERATION —

Brian Dillon AST Trust Chairman

Settling in for a challenging year It’s been a quiet few weeks for the Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST), with employers and trainees alike no doubt settling into the new year with staffing and supply chain pressures front of mind.

The number of hardship applications remains low, which is not necessarily a reflection of the environment the apprentices are experiencing.

I suggested last month that those pressures were likely to continue for some time, and we in the Industry Training Providers (ITP) sector are starting to see the impact of them, and other factors, on enrolments. With plenty of work available at various levels, it’s understandable that some will choose to go straight into the workforce instead of doing full-time study i.e. a pre-trade programme. While employers will need to pick up some of the training, that’s probably a small trade-off for having the right staffing levels to fulfil contracts. The minimum wage increase that comes into force on 1 April 2022, will only add to these pressures.

The vocational education reforms (RoVE) are continuing to develop and evolve, with a lot of work occurring behind the scenes with systems and processes being developed. With Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO) now part of Te Pūkenga, the new national vocational provider, conversations are increasing between ITPs and BCITO, about good practices in engaging and supporting learners and employers. This bodes well for the future, where learners and employers should have access to a spectrum of opportunities for supporting training, depending on the needs of one or the other, and perhaps both, parties.

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The 2022 New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Apprentice Challenge Regional Competitions are rapidly approaching, with discussions currently on how to encourage the next wave of competitors to apply for this year’s event.

This year’s Regional Competitions will take place on Saturday 9th April 2022 at ITM stores nationwide, plus selected venues. Competitors will go head-to-head in an eight-hour challenge, where their skills will be put to the test on a unique building project.

The winners from each region will progress to the National Final being held in conjunction with the NZCB Conference and Expo on 18th and 19th November, in Hamilton. For more information check out page 58 of this issue of InHouse or visit www.apprenticechallenge.nz.

The NZCB Apprentice Challenge is always a highlight of the year for all involved. All the best to those who do decide to give it a go.

Until next time – mā te wā.

NEXT GENERATION —

ITAB Apprentice Completions Congratulations to all the ITAB Apprentices who have recently completed their National Certificates in Carpentry!

Ara Institute of Canterbury

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

Brydon Jacques

Joshua Mills

LD Adams Builders

Tony Pepping Builders Limited

Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)

Unitec New Zealand

Samuel O'Leary

PM Contracting

Nathaniel King

Dominion Constructors Limited

Callaghan McBride

Smith & Sons Nelson

Michael Murray

Craig Ion Builders Limited

Gert Maurer

Ruru Tiny Homes

Adam Lindsay

Falcon Properties Limited

David Maisey

Tasman Homes (Nelson) Limited

Northtec – Future Trades Matthew Foster

MJ Quality Builders Limited

Otago Polytechnic Liam Turnbull

Big River Homes Limited

Jacob Sutherland

NJL Builders Limited

Blake Merrett

NJL Builders Limited

Tane Young

Fraser Snelling Builders Limited

Felix Dickson

Mac McDonald Building Limited

From left to right: ITAB Apprentice Jacob Sutherland, NJL Builders Limited Director Nigel Lawson, Otago Polytechnic Carpentry Lecturer and Apprentice Manager Grant Beel and ITAB Apprentice Blake Merrett.

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NEXT GENERATION —

Rob Macgregor Trade Marketing Manager, Mitre 10 (New Zealand) Limited

Mitre 10 Trade launches SmartMate Cash for ITAB Apprentices In September last year, Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) and Mitre 10 Trade came together on an initiative to set up a brand new SmartMate Cash offering exclusively for ITAB apprentices. This means that ITAB Apprentices can now enjoy special pricing on a huge range of power tools, hand tools, workwear, accessories and more at any local Mitre 10 Trade nationwide. And all via mobile phone.

The release of the ITAB SmartMate Cash offer was supported by a promotion in September and November, not only received a SmartMate Cash account, but also a free 20oz Estwing Hammer valued at $74.40 and entry into the draw to win a Bluetooth Makita Jobsite radio.

With an offer like that, it’s no surprise we had a flood of entries and well over 100 ITAB apprentices signed up over the promo period. All new account holders now have access to special pricing as well as a shiny new Estwing.

Congratulations to Ricky Plympton from Hayward Builders Limited in Hamilton, who was the lucky recipient of the Bluetooth Jobsite radio.

Are you an ITAB Apprentice?

Sign up, score free stuff AND WIN Sign up for a Smart Mate Cash Apprentice Card by November 30th an d receive trade pricing on a huge range of products from Mitre 10.

Sign up is easy!

Email: smartmate@ mitre10.co.nz and provide us with yo ur first name, last name and mobile phone number.

PLUS

sign up and get a FREE 20oz Estwing Ha mmer valu ed at $74.40

The SmartMate Cash account for ITAB apprentices is still available!

To sign up, eligible ITAB Apprentices simply email smartmate@mitre10.co.nz with your surname, first name, mobile number, 4-digit PIN and which Industry Training Provider (ITP) you’re enrolled with.

PLUS

go in the draw to

win one of

five Bluetooth Makit a Jobsite radios valued at $315

Get the job done with Mitre 10 Trade .

Offer valid for iTAB apprentices only.

Offer Available from Not in conjunction 1st September to with any other offer.

30th November

2021.

Once the account is set up, account details are sent via text. All you need to do then is head along to your local Mitre 10 Trade to top up the toolbox. Simply scan your barcode on mobile phone at the counter, and enter your 4 digit PIN. Job done.

Contact the Mitre 10 SmartMate Team on smartmate@mitre10.co.nz for assistance on setup or how SmartMate Cash works.

And the winner is …. congratulations Ricky Plympton from Hayward Builders Limited, pictured here with his Bluetooth Makita Jobsite radio, thanks to Mitre 10 Trade.

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NZCB Apprentice Challenge 2022 – sponsored by ITM

Saturday 9th April 2022 WHERE:

ITM Stores Nationwide + selected venues

Regional Competitions On Saturday 9th April, carpentry apprentices nationwide will go head-to-head in an eight-hour challenge, where their skills will be put to the test on a unique building project at the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM. Competitions will be held at ITM stores nationwide and selected venues.

Completed Challenge projects will be first offered to Apprentices and their families to purchase with the remainder being sold on TradeMe, the combined proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Society of New Zealand. Keep an eye on the future articles for the total raised.

Thanks to ITM’s sponsorship, every competitor will receive a prize pack for participating. There will also be major prizes up for grabs for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place getters, up to the value of $1000 per region!

Successful regional winners will go onto the National Final being held in conjunction with the NZCB Conference and Expo on the 18th and 19th November, in Hamilton, where they will compete for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and bragging rights as the next NZCB Apprentice Challenge winner.

Good luck to all regional competitors.

Nick Matthews NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager

For more information visit: www.apprenticechallenge.nz

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TECH TIPS —

Colour keeper Like all exterior surface coatings, the colour of your paint finish may be affected by U.V. light.

Resene uses high quality concentrated tinters, but even these are liable to change after constant exposure to sunlight. Any changes will be gradual, but after a few years the difference between shaded and exposed areas may become noticeable.

Resene paints are designed to resist fading, however the combined presence of strong U.V. light and lime in the surface can lead to premature fading.

Resene uses high quality concentrated tinters, but even these are liable to change after constant exposure to sunlight.

looks similar to fading. If this occurs, the lime must be blocked off with a suitable paint system.

Resene recommends all fresh plaster surfaces are coated with Resene Limelock cure and seal first. For more information visit: https://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/ datasheets/d809-Limelock-Cure-&-Seal.pdf Resene Clearcoat UVS, U.V. protective glaze may be used as a finish coat over freshly painted bright organic hues and shades to protect these more vulnerable pigments against fading. For more information visit: https://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/datasheets/ d502-Clearcoat-UVS.pdf

Sometimes lime staining is mistaken for fading. Lime staining occurs when the lime in the surface has leached through and is deposited on top of the paint surface as a white deposit that

Are you in dispute over the interior finishing and completion of a project?

We have specialised assessors who can provide an independent report to review what has happened - call AWCI today.

This tech tip was supplied by NZCB National Partners, Resene Paints Limited.

Resene Paints have been making quality paints, wood stains, coatings and colours in New Zealand since 1946. For more information visit: www.resene.co.nz

TECH TIPS —

The importance of end sealing timber cladding and decking Too often the first place of failure in timber cladding or decking in exterior applications is the exposed end grain.

Fungal decay requires moisture to develop, and the end grain of wood absorbs moisture at up to 100 times the rate of absorption of the face of wood.

This means that on average, the end grain retains more moisture than other parts of the wood, and is more likely to decay first. This issue affects both treated timbers, and naturally durable species such as Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, and Ironbark (all durability class 1 species).

It is critical therefore, that the cut ends of wood are sealed prior to application with an end sealant.

Any cutting of timber, whether from sawing, shaping or planning has the potential to expose the end grain and allow the uptake of moisture.

End sealants are available as a wax-based water repellent, designed to block moisture ingress, or as a chemical preservative, intended to protect the wood from fungal development.

With no adequate room allowed for drainage and no quality end sealer applied, this cladding will quickly succumb to decay.

To find out more on:

At Abodo we supply a complete system of FSC® Vulcan and Tundra timber cladding and coatings, including Protector Oil, and Sioox, each have their own End Sealer.

• Protector Oil End Grain Sealer – visit https://www.abodo.co.nz/products/accessories/ protector-end-seal • Sioo:x Natural Wood Coating End Grain Sealer – visit https://www.abodo.co.nz/products/accessories/ sioox-end-grain-sealer This Tech Tip was supplied by NZCB National Partners, Abodo Wood Limited.

Abodo craft timbers with lasting beauty that are safe for people and the environment.

Formed in 2001, Abodo remains a New Zealand-owned, family business with a purpose.

For more information visit www.abodo.co.nz.

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ORDER DIRECT FROM YOUR BUILD IT ESTIMATES That’s right, to make your life even easier we’ve added BUILD IT estimates to the Trade Portal! Now you can get ordering all the products you need off your estimate at any time and any stage of build.

Here’s how it works...

REQUEST ESTIMATE Request a BUILD IT estimate as you normally would in-store or through your rep APPROVE ESTIMATE Once you’ve approved the BUILD IT estimate it’ll show in the “Jobs” dashboard on your Trade Portal account PLACE YOUR ORDERS From here you can select products by the different stages of build and order them when you’re ready

What are you waiting for, make life a bit easier and register for the Trade Portal now...

For more info talk to your PlaceMakers team today!

tradeportal.placemakers.co.nz

TECH TIPS —

Installing cavity sliders in tiled areas Cavity sliders are often fitted in bathrooms to make the most of the space in a small area without a hinged door swinging in the way. For some though, this raises the issue of whether the cavity slider can be installed into a bathroom or laundry wall that is to be tiled.

It is sometimes recommended to build an additional wall next to the cavity slider, but this defeats the purpose of trying to save space and leads to an increase in overall costs and labour times. As a result, many are faced with choosing between having a cavity slider with no tiling on the pocket wall or tiling on the wall and removing the cavity slider.

CS For Doors have had their cavity sliders tested and offer a 90mm cavity slider that can support tiles up to a total lining mass of 50 kg/m². The side of the frame to be tiled is supplied with a full 17mm plywood panel which can be requested on the left or right side of the pocket at time of order. A 9mm fibre cement tile backing board such as Villaboard should then be used as a wall lining.

Provided the manufacturer’s instructions are followed for installation of the cavity frame, wall lining and tiles, this is a simple, reliable space saving solution that requires no compromise on design.

The BRANZ appraisal for CS Cavity Sliders has recently been updated to include information on cavity sliders and tiled walls. Download the latest appraisal report from the BRANZ Website: https://www.branz.co.nz/appraisal-codemarkcertificates/cs-cavity-sliders Find out more about using cavity sliders in wet areas: https://csfordoors.co.nz/solutions/wet-areas CS Cavity Sliders take less time to install and require less maintenance than similar products on the market. Whether you require a cavity slider in a bracing wall or need to ensure your opening is accessible you can be assured that CS products are strong enough to do the job and will comply with the New Zealand Building Code.

For more information about CS for Doors products, technical tools and blogs check out www.csfordoors.co.nz

CS Cavity Sliders are the only BRANZ Appraised products on the New Zealand market. You can install CS products with confidence knowing they have been thoroughly and independently tested.

This Tech Tip was supplied by NZCB National Partners, CS for Doors.

CS for Doors manufacture cavity sliding door systems for both residential and commercial applications. Their range includes products for disabled access and healthcare, automatic and self closing options as well as specialty doors and hardware.

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ISUZU D-MAX Tough ute for tough builders

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A great builder needs a great ute to help get the job done. That’s where our award-winning D-Max comes in. It’s not just NZ’s safest ute, it’s also NZ4WD Ute of the Year 2021. With the power and reliability of our 3.0L turbo-diesel engine and 3,500kg braked towing capacity, it’s quite possibly the best workmate you could have.

Even better, we have a special price for NZCB members.

Get in touch with us to learn more. www.isuzuutes.co.nz/nzcb-members

News Bites

NEWS BITES —

We speak beach New wash hues for interior timber from Resene A renewed love of honesty in materials, which favours those that come from nature, have made linen, wood, cane, clay and stone incredibly desirable to decorate with for their longevity and inherent beauty.

Simple, pared down silhouettes and Scandinavian influences like whitewashed timbers in Resene Colorwood Whitewash and minimalist furnishings that focus

on quality and sustainability over quantity are hugely popular.

Resene Colorwood Whitewash and Greywash have helped specifiers and homeowners bring a softer look to interior timber, allowing the beauty of the timber grain to show through.

Expanding the range of Resene Colorwood wash options, Resene has created the new Resene Colorwood ‘We speak beach’ series of six colourwash hues are inspired by hazy days at the beach and popular Resene weathered hues.

From sea to sand to shore, these hues bring a soothing quality to projects year round.

Ideal for use for everything from walls and ceilings to floors and furniture, the hues can be used individually or combined into a palette.

The new range of beach inspired hues is available tinted into the Resene Colorwood Whitewash range, from Resene ColorShops, http://www.resene.co.nz/colorshops

MultiVent – continuous ventilation with automated humidity control Ideal for apartments, multi-unit dwellings and free-standing homes.

• Improved Indoor Air Quality, Virus and pollutant extraction as part of improved IAQ. Continuous slowly refreshed air through market leading MultiVent continuous extract ventilation system.

• Continuous Extract with Automated Humidity Control - The air quality benefits of continuous “trickle” extract ventilation with automated boost speeds when needed via continuous humidity sensing and control. The extracted air is replaced through natural air flow through the gaps around doors and windows, trickle inlet slots, or the Manrose Puro Filtered Passive Vent Kit (DCT4565).

• Ultra-Quiet & Energy Efficient Performance - The MultiVent continuous extract ventilation system has been carefully designed using cutting edge computational fluid dynamics airflow modelling to reduce energy loss and noise across all performance speeds.

For more information, please visit our website: www.manrose.co.nz or phone 09 259 1660 or email enquiry@manrose.co.nz

Refresh, revive, respect With steam Refresh – a feature of Fisher & Paykel’s select new washing machines and dryers, you can bring lightly worn clothes, musty stored garments and even soft furnishings back to life.

The 20-minute cycle removes odours so clothes can be worn again without the need for a full wash cycle,

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while steam reduces creases to save you precious time spent ironing. The matching 10-star energy rated heat pump dryer (also featuring the steam refresh functionality) uses heat pump technology to gently and effectively dry clothes at low temperatures – providing the ultimate in fabric care and respect for the planet.

For more information visit: www.fisherpaykel.com/nz/laundry and for the latest NZCB members Fisher & Paykel Prices contact Kirsty at the NZCB National Support Office on kirsty@nzcb.nz

Need a job? Looking for staff?

If you’re on the hunt for new staff or looking for a job, check out the new ‘Jobs’ and ‘Jobs Ads’ tabs on the New Zealand Certified Builders members only Toolshed website – you must be logged in to view these tabs.

Forgotten/need to set up your password for the members’ only Toolshed website or if you need assistance with a listing, give the NZCB National Support Office a call on 0800 237 843.

What are these new tabs?

JOBS – this is where you will find a list of job vacancies, uploaded by other NZCB members JOB ADS – this is where you can list your vacancies/job positions. You can also place an advert here if you are looking for work.

NZCB electronic membership cards New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) electronic membership ID cards are now available from the NZCB members’ only Toolshed website.

Your membership ID card displays your trading name (business members only), individual name, individual membership number (NOT your business membership number) and the current month and year.

The data on the cards is live, which means the month and year at the bottom of the card will update each month as proof you are a current member of the Association.

To show your membership ID card to a homeowner/client or an NZCB partner, log on to the NZCB members’ only Toolshed website and click MEMBERSHIP CARD – the very last option, on the navigation menu. This will display your ID card on your phone immediately.

You can also download the card as a .JPG image to your photos folder.

Note: If you choose to download the card you will need to download it each month, so that the current month is showing on the card.

Need help? Contact the NZCB National Support Office on: 0800 237 843 or info@nzcb.nz

Introducing the New Yale Induro™ 2-Point Mortice Lock The Induro 2-Point is a culmination of extensive research, prototyping and stringent testing. The new 2-Point Lock offers an improved locking system with adjustable deadbolt projection. When deadlocked, the Induro 2-Point mortice lock provides increased security with two points of locking.

The Induro 2-Point lock is a direct retrofit for Millton, Optimum and LCL locks and is designed to be used in conjunction with the Aria,

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Palladium, Verona, and Apex furniture ranges.

The Induro 2-Point lock features two points of locking from the latch and the deadbolt. The latch has adjustable projection, the deadbolt projection on the Induro can be easily changed to either a 13mm short throw or 24mm long throw with a turn of a screwdriver.

With a redesigned locking mechanism, the Induro is solid and robust, providing reliability and strength for larger doors.

The handing of the lockset can easily be adjusted by reversing the orientation of the latch bolt.

The Induro 2-Point lockset is New Zealand made with a stainless steel forend plate and accepts Euro style cylinders. The Induro 2-Point lock achieves the Australian Standards - AS4145: 2008 Security Level S7 and Durability Level D7.

For more info, visit us at https://www.assaabloy.com/nz/en/ solutions/products/mortice-locks/ induro-mortice-locks

JANUARY, 2022

NEW BUILDS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

IN THE MEDIA —

New Zealand Property Investor, New Zealand

New builds: the good, the bad, and the ugly

FEATURE

The age-old question of whether it is better to build a new home or buy an existing one has become more pertinent than ever, Sally Lindsay writes.

In recent years incentives to build or to buy a new build have multiplied. It is easier to get a loan for a new build, for example, because the Reserve Bank’s loan-to-value ratios, which limit bank lending to low-deposit borrowers, do not apply.

Incentives are also being thrown at investors to buy new builds. They are exempt from the Government’s new tax wiping out mortgage interest as an expense against rental income over a four-year period, and the bright-line test stays at five years instead of the stretch to 10 for existing homes.

So how do build costs compare? There are a range of figures from different sources, but multiple variables make it difficult to compare. The general consensus is new builds remain cheaper than existing properties.

Information from CoreLogic provides some evidence of that. It shows that last year buyers paid a national average of $829,747 for what are classified new builds compared with a national average of $889,055 for existing properties.

CoreLogic chief property economist Kelvin Davidson says buying a new build or finding land and then building, can be complicated as land is not easy to find and the stock of available new builds is smaller than the rest of the market.

So how much does it cost to build?

Figures from Statistics New Zealand show the national average cost to build per m2 was $2325, in the year ending June. That figure does not include land, design or consent costs.

In November, Canstar’s updated Building Costs: How Much is it to Build a House in New Zealand revealed that nationally the average price per square metre increased from $2359 in 2020 to $2463 at the end of last year. That’s an increase of 4.4% – a far smaller percentage than the increase in median house prices. However, the average price of a new build has increased less, by 3.45%, from $368,667 in 2020 to $381,404 late last year, and that’s because smaller houses are being built.

Although nationally the average size is pretty much the same, 156m2 to just 155m2, in some areas downsizing is more pronounced. Wellington now boasts the biggest per m2 costs, while Taranaki and Canterbury are the cheapest. However, these are just average prices. Costs vary build to build, due to differing house sizes, and these numbers are just estimates based on building consent applications.

HIDDEN COSTS Even without inflation, when pricing a new build there are other factors involved that push up costs.

“When most architects and designers submit building consent applications the build value figure they put in is as low as possible, to keep the consent costs down because the value of the build impacts the consent fee,” says Trent Simpkin, of Arcline Architecture.

“Yes, it could be considered inaccurate, but councils should only need to know the value of the consentable items. So, for example, most of our houses we say are $2500m2 when, in reality, they’re more of a $3500m2 build.

“The shape and circumference of a home are big players in the cost of the build,” says Simpkin. A square house has the least perimeter of any shape, so is the cheapest to build as it requires less cladding, insulation, roofing, etc.

Whereas a house the same size split into individual pods will cost more.

Overall, Simpkin estimates at the end of last year an average price of over $3000m2 is a more realistic figure.

To keep costs down, Simpkin advises avoiding the following, which could push your build closer to $4000m2: • elevated sites, exposed to the wind • steep (or even not so steep) sites that require retaining walls • unsuitable ground requiring engineering design • large square metres of glass (requiring steel portals) • open expanses of living areas (requiring engineering due to lack of walls to brace) • cantilevered decks, roofs, floors • expensive cladding, like cedar, and roofing, such as tray • difficult site access • any build methods that are time consuming.

But while myriad factors affect the cost of a build, one thing is clear; more, smaller homes are being built.

Ten years ago there were fewer homes built than in the mid-1970s.However, since then the pace of building has ramped up. In 2020, 39,420 new dwellings were consented. To September last year the number had already reached 36,040 consents, with a third of the year left. In the year to the end of October the number of consents were at a record high of 47,715.

Region to region, while there’s still a difference in the size of houses we’re building, pretty much across the board all the homes being built are smaller.

T i

TIMBER KEY FACTOR Construction cost growth has a major effect on building prices. CoreLogic’s Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI) reveals on an annual basis the country’s construction cost growth rose from 4.5% in the 12 months to the second quarter last year to 5.5% in 12 months to the third quarter, the fastest annual rate since the first quarter of 2018 (when growth was already into a slowdown phase).

Cordell data shows timber prices, particularly structural timber and cladding, have been a key contributor to overall cost increases. Metal costs and products have also been a factor.

Davidson says higher construction costs are likely to add to affordability to move financially as too often clients challenges already at play across the choose the cheapest bid, which established housing market. typically only covers costs. If builders “For anyone who is looking to build or are to survive, some projects will need to renovate, or for someone who owns to be repriced by agreement. a business involved in the residential The combination of rising construction construction industry, it means they costs, higher interest rates and the are all likely to be facing significantly acceleration in supply could lead to higher costs.” a reduction in residential building this With the cost of building materials year. rising and supply delays for some products, many builders are ordering However, the severe backlog of work that exists, caused by extreme materials four or five months in capacity and labour constraints, will advance. keep construction at more elevated Some say there is an email every levels than normal. week saying a price has risen and House prices and residential PMCA licensed copy. You may not further copy, reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, if they don’t plan forward they will the prior written consent of construction the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-09-306 1657 or email info@p cycle together.

Falling struggle. Independent economist house prices tilt affordability towards Tony Alexander says construction existing houses and away from new costs are putting unprecedented builds, but it is uncertain this will now be pressure on building companies. He warns smaller firms are at risk of going the case. Meanwhile, the Commerce bust, a scenario that could leave many Commission is launching a probe into building materials for the residential homeowners and contractors in the lurch. “Within two to three years, we’re market. The Government has long suspected timber and Gib board is going to see a wave of collapses.” overpriced and sold by too few players.

A lot of “inexperienced, undercapitalised people” had tried to Commerce Minister David Clark ride the construction boom and were says there have been long-standing concerns about potential competition now facing challenges on multiple fronts, including hikes in material costs, issues, particularly due to the highly concentrated nature of some markets supply chain delays, staff shortages in the supply chain. and credit tightening.

“It is going to lead to quite a number of There have also been numerous reports in recent months of people builders going under. And not just the buying homes off-the-plan, only builders – contractors and suppliers too,” says Alexander. “There are going for builders to come back looking for thousands of dollars more in to be cashflow difficulties for these unexpected costs. businesses.”

Alexander says it is not commercially realistic for customers to expect ESCALATION CLAUSES Another factor, says Certified Builders builders to bear all the risks and then be upset when the builder fails. chief executive Grant Florence, is Room needs to be left in contracts the days of high inflation escalation so the builder can charge through clauses will re-appear.

Rising construction costs are making unexpected price increases. “On the other side, builders need to meet it difficult for builders to deliver on fixedrate contracts. It is now difficult to deadlines.” obtain a fixed price contract. Currently, builders are left with little or no room New Zealand Property Investor,

I

n recent yea to buy a new It is easie new build, fo the Reserve Ban which limit bank borrowers, do n Incentives are investors to buy exempt from the tax wiping out m expense against four-year period stays at five yea to 10 for existing

New Zealand

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FROM NZCB —

NZCB Affinity Partners New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is proud to partner with the following companies who are aligned with the Association to bring our members discounted services and products.

UTES Cost + % discount on most Noel Leeming products

Exceptional vehicle deals with Renault, Hyundai and Isuzu

Exclusive pricing on Fisher & Paykel and Haier products

Deals and discounts on your mobile and broadband plans

Discounts across a wide range of services

Exclusive Health Insurance packages with NIB (Business Members only)

Discounted rate on AA Business Care

Fuel Card Programme – offering discounts

Exclusive Builders’ Insurance packages

25% off car, van and 4WD tyres

Fuel Card Programme – offering discounts

Discounts across a wide selection of products

Style, functionality and reliability At Renault New Zealand, we’re proud to be 100% Kiwi owned and operated, and bringing Kiwi tradies sturdy and reliable Renault commercial vehicles.

through to our popular Trafic and the large Master, there is a Renault van for your business. All with the backing of our three years/350,000kms warranty.

Renault is one of the best-selling commercial vehicle brands in Europe, and we stand behind that with our range of stylish vans. From the small Kangoo (which is available as an EV),

Get in touch with us today and find out about the special NZCB members deal on our Renault range.

Phone : 0800 736 2858 Email: info@renault.co.nz Web: www.renault.co.nz/ nzcb-members

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FROM NZCB —

NZCB National Partners New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is proud to partner with the following companies who align with our Association and give NZCB members access to a wealth of expertise and support throughout New Zealand.

COMPANY

WEBSITE

COMPANY

WEBSITE

Abodo Wood Ltd

www.abodo.co.nz

Milwaukee Tools NZ

www.milwaukeetools.co.nz

Altus NZ Ltd

www.altus.co.nz

MiTek New Zealand Ltd

www.mitek.co.nz

APL Window Solutions

www.aplnz.co.nz

Open2view

www.open2view.co.nz

ASSA ABLOY Open Solutions New Zealand

www.assaabloy.co.nz

Pacific Steel (NZ) Ltd

www.pacificsteel.co.nz

Bahco

www.bahco.co.nz

Paslode New Zealand

www.paslode.co.nz

Bowers Brothers Concrete Ltd

www.bowersbrothers.co.nz

PlaceMakers

www.placemakers.co.nz

Builda Price (2016) Ltd

www.buildaprice.co.nz

Pro Clima New Zealand Ltd

www.proclima.co.nz

Bunnings Ltd

www.bunnings.co.nz

Productspec Ltd

www.productspec.net

CS For Doors Ltd

www.csfordoors.co.nz

Proven Systems Ltd (DVS)

www.dvs.co.nz

CSR Building Products (NZ) Ltd

www.csr.co.nz

Red LBP Ltd

www.redlbp.co.nz

ECKO Fastening Systems

www.ecko.co.nz

Red QS Ltd

www.redqs.nz

enable.me

www.enable.me

Red Stag Timber

www.redstag.co.nz

FMI Building Innovation

www.aslnz.co.nz

Resene Construction Systems

www.reseneconstruction.co.nz

Franklin Plumbing and Builders Supplies Ltd

www.franklins.co.nz

Resene Paints Ltd

www.resene.co.nz

Free Up

www.freeup.kiwi

Rosenfeld Kidson & Co. Ltd

www.rosenfeldkidson.co.nz

Futurewood

www.futurewood.nz

Schneider Electric

www.pdl.co.nz

Gerard Roofs

www.gerardroofs.co.nz

Sellwood Products Ltd

www.sellwood.co.nz

GTEE.co.nz

www.gtee.co.nz

Senco Brands (NZ) Ltd

www.senco.nz

Hilti (New Zealand) Ltd

www.hilti.com

SIKA New Zealand

www.nzl.sika.com

HomePlus

www.homeplus.co.nz

Simx Ltd

www.simx.co.nz

Independent Building Supplies

www.ibs.co.nz

Soudal Ltd

www.soudal.co.nz

INTAKS NZ Ltd

www.intaks.co.nz

Tasman Insulation New Zealand Ltd

www.pinkbatts.co.nz

Jacobsen Creative Surfaces Ltd

www.jacobsen.co.nz

James Hardie New Zealand

Tax Management New Zealand

www.tmnz.co.nz

www.jameshardie.co.nz

JSC Timber

www.jsctimber.co.nz

The Trades Coach

www.tradescoach.co.nz

KLC Ltd

www.klc.co.nz

Thermakraft Ltd

www.thermakraft.co.nz

Kopine

www.kopine.co.nz

Tile Space

www.tiles.co.nz

Laminex New Zealand

www.laminexnewzealand.co.nz

Viking Roofspec

www.vikingroofspec.co.nz

Marley New Zealand Ltd

www.marley.co.nz

Warmup NZ Ltd

www.warmup.co.nz

Marshall Innovations Ltd

www.mwnz.com

YourQS Ltd

www.yourqs.co.nz

69

MAKE BUILDING

EVEN MORE REWARDING There’s a lot of advantages when you partner with CARTERS. Our Advantage loyalty programme rewards you with 5 points for every $100 (ex GST) you spend on your Trade Account.

That all adds up and can really take you places – or get you the latest and greatest gadgets!

All you need to do is spend a minimum of $25K a year, so ask us about joining today*. *Terms and conditions apply.

cartersadvantage.co.nz

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