Property & Build: Yearbook 2022

BUILDING FUTURE CITIES Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

MANAGEMENT TOPIC

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

Oearbook Y ctober 2021 2022 - January 2022 Sponsored Article

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fter commissioning a 2019 report in partnership with BRANZ into suicide in construction, Site Safe began looking at ways to offer practical assistance to the industry to better understand and deal with mental health issues in its workforce.

Site Safe Chief Executive, Brett Murray, says it was a logical step to take after the release of the report.

“There was a real ‘what next?’ question, in us figuring out how to help our industry deal with the mental health issues that the report had clearly highlighted.

“We have partnered with St John to develop this course to tackle some of these issues head on.”

The course will equip attendees with the skills and knowledge to support their own mental health and assist others to do the same, with a particular focus on scenarios within the construction industry.

Combining the experience of the St John trainers in delivering their existing mental health course and applying the real-world context of the construction industry has provided

Partnership brings mental health awareness and training to construction A new Mental Health First Aid in Construction course developed by Site Safe and St John is bringing much needed support to the construction sector, flagged as a high risk industry for mental wellbeing outcomes intended to have benefits outside of just those who sit the course.

St John Head of First Aid Training, Julian Price, says the partnership represents a valuable opportunity for the two organisations to further spread the message of the importance of mental health.

“We have been delivering the Mental Health First Aid course since August 2018, however the ability to specifically target workers in construction who are at

risk of mental health issues – that is invaluable and is part of St John’s continued commitment to improving the health outcomes of all New Zealanders.”

With successful trials run in Auckland and Wellington in late March, participants were in praise of the outcomes of the course.

When asked about the value that the course provided, Wayne, a construction worker who participated in the Auckland trial, said that it was very informative and he learned a lot in the subject of Mental Health that he did not have much knowledge of.

“It provided a lot more knowledge around how to identify and deal with persons in need of assistance.”

One Wellington trial participant, Mickala, indicated that she would use her new understanding and skills to help others in her workplace.

“It taught me how to properly engage with people who need some help … and encourage them to seek the help they may not know they need.”

Brett Murray is confident of a positive industry response and looks forward to further course developments in future.

“My major focus for Site Safe as an industry leader and membership organisation is to work alongside the industry to develop high value products that address key issues the industry is facing.

“Mental health is certainly one of those, and this course is totally aligned to that goal.”

For more info and to book your seat on the Mental Health First Aid in Construction course, click here.

If you or someone you know needs support, or someone to talk to, try: • 1737 – Mental Health Foundation support service.

Free call or text any time • 0800 111 315 – MATES in Construction • 0800 543 354 – Lifeline (0800 LIFELINE) • 0800 376 633 – Youthline • 0800 726 666 – Samaritans propertyandbuild.com

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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

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Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

Beware The Ides of March By the end of the first quarter the impact of inflationary pressures will become more apparent in the community.

Some issues we can control, others are beyond us.

MANAGEMENT

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New Year is a popular opportunity to speculate on future developments. Of course, the more successful Seers are retired, having foreseen winning Lotto numbers Reviews of the prospects for business operators reflecting the Coviddominated operational and social environment will continue to affect our lives for some time to come.

The scientists who have risen heroically to the challenge and given us effective vaccines in an extraordinarily short two years, have yet to be recognised.

Their expertise remains our major defence against a continually evolving pandemic, which has so dramatically altered our comfortable way of life.

Stressed Supply Lines External issues affecting NZ Inc focus on our

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position at the end of long and increasingly stressed supply lines - a frustrating combination of shortages of key commodities and a resurgent economy in our major trading partners, caught logistics planners by surprise. Fewer ships, truncated services to bypass congested ports and shortages of containers all contribute to growing shortages of key products required by both business and consumers.

While spurring innovation, rapidly escalating costs have fractured the ‘just in time’ concept many firms used to rely on. Responsible Care NZ members were able to quickly switch to producing the sanitisers and cleaning products desperately needed to help constrain the spread of Covid in the community, only to face new challenges like the growing shortage of skilled staff currently hampering national

infrastructure development, such as much needed housing, roading and construction.

Unnecessary Worker Shortages Controversial, constantly changing and increasingly illogical immigration policies are denying New Zealand the qualified workers needed to improve productivity at a time our principal income sources are under threat.

The loss of our lucrative international tourists together with Australian competition for the mutually beneficial foreign student’s market and desperately needed skilled healthcare, teachers and engineers continues to threaten our economic and social wellbeing.

Efforts to capitalise on increasing demand for our food exports remain hampered by the beleaguered logistics

system battling with refrigerated container shortages, reduced flights and worsening labour shortages.

Covid vs Governance Meanwhile, our preoccupation with Covid camouflages important governance issues, particularly the continuing failure to adequately consult with key stakeholders, while largely ignoring advice from officials.

Controversial legislation passes quickly through the Select Committees denied the opportunity to rigorously scrutinize poorly drafted regulations, resulting in unintended consequences.

Critical issues ranging from how to achieve a successful transition from coal and fossil fuels to as yet inadequate renewable energy replacements, to the introduction of controversial, outmoded compulsory wage setting (FPAs) have not been comprehensively debated.

Meanwhile, the Public Service continues to expand as massive departmental reorganisations seek to centralise decision-making and resources, resulting in expensive job creation and costly complexity, without a sound business case.

The Perilous Path NZ Inc treads an increasingly perilous path in world affairs as our major trading partners align themselves with allies concerned with territorial ambition to divert attention from domestic problems, and less interested in preserving free trade.

Domestically, our escalating national indebtedness continues to be fueled by housing costs, increasingly expensive

Yearbook 2022

No Quick Fix Supply disruption will not be quickly resolved.

Congested international ports and distribution centers are unable to quickly clear backlogs due to labour shortages, especially long-haul drivers and a reluctance to operate ports 24/7.

Locally, industry will either struggle to cope with delays to critical supplies or stand the cost of stockpiling essential items. For example, compliant bulk chemical storage facilities convenient to main centres are at capacity.

Self-Sufficiency Myths A sensible debate about enhancing greater self-sufficiency will be fruitless, illustrating the government’s expectation that fuel importers will spend millions on increasing storage capacity rather than retain our sole oil refinery.

Reconstituting inefficient and costly local production of low value, mass produced items like rail wagons ignores the need for economy of scale and avoiding unjustified expense, repeating the ill-founded policy of assembling expensive imported kitsets to provide politically useful local employment.

Complementing ongoing industry efforts by investing more in ensuring we have the required talent

available, instead of persevering with largely unsuccessful attempts to pick prospective commercial ‘winners’ must surely be a priority for quality taxpayer spending.

Selectively Increase Immigration Opening the border to skilled migrants to overcome critical skill shortages is overdue.

Together with urgently needed tradespeople and agricultural workers, professional migrants also help train and mentor desperately needed healthcare, teaching, science and engineering students.

Many enjoyed a magnificent and welcome Summer break, thanks to 95 percent double vaccination levels, the commencement of booster shots and vaccination of the vulnerable five to 11-yearold group. We now need to capitalize as fast followers successful Covid protection strategies reflecting the consensus of our scientific advisors.

Bipartisan and Pragmatic Solutions As we adjust to a new pandemic ‘normalcy’, New Zealanders can

rightly appreciate the circumstances we presently enjoy, compared to many countries. Despite the tardy rollout of rapid testing options, there is cause for optimism that Covid variants can be successfully managed, enabling us to begin restoring business confidence and repairing the social and environmental damage.

To do so, we require bipartisan, pragmatic solutions, beginning with a year of achievement - not rhetoric.

Hundreds of nonvaccinated, scarce healthcare workers, teachers and emergency service providers are being stood down as we seek a process for sensibly managing ‘anti-vaxxers’ at work and throughout the community.

A lack of substance in our latest climate change commitments, demonising agriculture, highlights the urgent need for government confidence in industry sectors identifying practical and cost-effective solutions to GHG mitigation measures, including longterm energy generation and storage, particularly in transportation and agriculture.

Address The Real Issues Decade-high inflation permeating the economy, continuing shortages of key commodities and escalating fuel prices, increasing the cost of living, might finally capture easily diverted media attention.

Political aspirants for the 2023 election need to urgently share and debate pragmatic proposals to accelerate and sustain New Zealand’s aspirations as a role model for sound economic, social and environmental success in a pandemic dominated future.

Can we, do it? Of course, we can.

Will we, do it? Check back in January 2023.

Responsible Care Chief Executive Barry Dyer The views expressed

by Content Partner, Responsible Care Chief Executive Barry Dyer, may not necessarily be those of Responsible Care NZ propertyandbuild.com

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consumer costs and the dubious quality of some government spending.

Rapidly increasing inflation is of growing importance for businesses already grappling with staffing issues, diminishing customers and more expensive goods and services.

YEARBOOK 2022

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YEARBOOK 2022

Contents

48

How to run your business in a pandemic

50

Critical infrastructure and supply chain support

52

Support for mentally healthy workplaces

3

Working together to boost health and safety

53

Mental health when working from home

4

Beware the Ides of March

54

Covid-19 construction protocols

8

How to operate efficiently in a Covid environment

60

12

End year wrap-up reveals clues for 2022 property market

Omicron in the community – what this means for you

62

Re-programming muscle memory

14

Facilities management with personal service

64

Bastion NZ launch industrial glove range

16

Build to Rent: an ever more compelling case for New Zealand

66

20

Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation

Eight key themes shaping our future cities

68

24

Industrial sector – big strides, small footprints

AC Filter – an engineered solution protecting worker health

71

Treescape weathers the storm

27

Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

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28

Multi-purpose, safer, faster telehandlers increase productivity

Breathing fresh life into the office experience

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32

Is it better to litigate or deviate to alternatives?

Biofuel mandate – lower emissions or just higher fuel prices?

76

Rising from the Antarctic, a climate alarm

43

No better investment than chemical safety training

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44

Construction sector’s sobering suicide statistics

Water sector a key player in managing climate change

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46

Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites

Timely advice for Three-Waters investment management

88

Three ideas for building the future cities we need

Published by Media Solutions Ltd PO Box 503, Whangaparaoa Auckland 0943 09 428 7456 Original material published online and in this magazine is copyright,

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Daily news updates online infrastructurenews.co.nz propertyandbuild.com propertyandbuild .com 7 safetynews.co.nz

Yearbook 2022

How to operate efficiently in a Covid environment MANAGEMENT

The arrival of Covid-19 on the shores of New Zealand led to a significant level of uncertainty and heightened levels of concern, mostly driven by the unknown, says Telarc Chief Executive Philip Cryer

split audits (partial remote today and on-site completion at a date to be determined).

Easy in principle, but when you are arranging around 1700 audits a year, across multiple geographies and regions against a variety of standards, things have the potential to get very messy, very quickly.

The final influencing factor in the conundrum facing the business was convincing clients, who were living with an on-site audit mind-set, that a remote audit could be undertaken in a manner that would give them a satisfactory outcome. Initially this conversation proved problematic, with a significant proportion declining and preferring to defer.

Commitment to find a solution

T

his article looks at how has the certification industry been disrupted by the Covid environment and what has been done to combat the multiple changes to the work environment.

For Telarc, we found ourselves in a predicament where we had an abundance of work in in our forward schedule one day, then the next minute the bulk of it was deferred or cancelled.

Covid created a lot of concern at all levels of the business as we were pushed to quickly establish an operating model that would allow us to keep the business functioning.

Our complete focus during the first lock down was to 8

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minimise the bleeding and try. Having a Board commitment to support the business, and more importantly its people, during this period of uncertainty gave us the headspace to develop and roll out a remote auditing operating model that kept Telarc and its clients moving forward, slowly.

The first lockdown required a significant amount of time and effort to design, test and deploy a scaled new way of operating.

Rules of operation

By way of context - all Certification bodies are required to comply with very clear, non-negotiable, rules in the way that audits are structured and completed.

These rules are laid out by

the accrediting bodies of the standards organisations like Telarc are approved to support. To maintain these accreditations Telarc is regularly audited to ensure we are following and applying the prescribed rules.

In a world where we had limited experience in remote auditing we found ourselves having firstly to create new processes on the fly but also then had to train and calibrate members of the Telarc team (remotely) to ensure compliance and consistent was being achieved.

Add into this the need for us to repurpose our scheduling activity. This led to a shift from a single job start and finish operating model to one where we undertake

The fact that we are able to write this overview is testimony to the passion and commitment from all the team at Telarc (from the Board right through to people at the coal face) who accepted the challenge Covid created. We navigated our way through and today we find ourselves a changed business from what we were two years ago.

As part of the review undertaken by Telarc on the learnings from the initial lockdown we identified a number of critical learnings.

One of the more poignant ones related to the Management teams mind-set.

We found we had to move very quickly from a mindset of “what should we do” (more compliance based), to a mind-set of “what can we do” (boundary pushing).

Adopting a more open mind-set allowed us to really challenge the traditional paradigms that surround

our business. Without this mind-set we would have struggled.

The Red Traffic System

If we fast forward to today where have just moved into the first week of having to manage our business under the Red traffic light setting. This is roughly the 10th change in environment Telarc has experienced over the last two years. In that time we have had to deal with a significant level of disruption, and react accordingly.

To simplify the overview of the change we have dealt with I have broken it into three distinct operational groupings: 1. People Auditing attracts a unique group of individuals. At a fundamental level they enjoy the challenges that this

type of profession throws up.

Being an auditor requires an individual to enjoy variety, be very organised, energetic, articulate, confident and structured, all while enjoying travelling and being away for extended periods from home.

The essence of audit life listed above is then overlaid

to be advised to stay home and work from home all of a sudden, they found their preferred working style had to be shelved.

Auditing remotely saw planning became increasingly important. Receiving information in advance and reviewing the evidence moved from being during the audit to before the

“To compete, Telarc has to ensure that we are at the forefront of the changes in our industry, all while employing really good New Zealand based people” with the need to operate across multiple standards, on multiple sites and potentially across multiple industries while on their own or on a team.

A lot of the enjoyment auditor’s gain from their job is getting out and about and having multi-dimensional conversations with all levels of a business. So,

audit.

Making sure that all of the client-nominated participants for the audit were booked and confirmed for Teams or Zoom meetings was a priority. Ensuring that the technology worked and could deal with large file transfers or screen sharing was undertaken.

And, very importantly,

being mentally prepared for extended periods of face time and having to guide client participants over a completely new audit medium became paramount.

And all of this was taking place in the comforts of their own home.

The other aspect of operating a remote organisation, as we had become, was constant communication and contact. The well-being of individuals and ensuring the constant pressure of living in a home/work environment needed to be actively monitored.

Telarc’s Health & Safety Committee and the people managers came to the fore in ensuring that any of the team who needed support, received it, promptly.

Forums and newsletters became increasingly important in keeping the team up to date with changes and Telarc’s overall position.

NZs Preferred Nationwide Certifier of ISO standards Want to manage and reduce risk, increase productivity and profitability?

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0800 004 004 info@telarc.org www.telarc.co.nz propertyandbuild.com

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MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

MANAGEMENT

out documentation iv.)

Access to a good file storage system and ability to scan and review detailed documents (eye fatigue became a problem) v.)

Good secure remote access and performance of the CRM, Process mapping and documentation tool vi.)

Ability to remotely upload and down load large files vii.)

Good laptops, screens, printers and mobile phones And finally, one of the key learnings was that being a New Zealand owned and resourced Certification body became important.

A number of organisations operating in our market found that they could not access their historical auditor due to them being based in Asia or Europe.

To have somebody able to come to site without disrup-

fly.

The move from onsite to remote and the need to develop and rollout scaled, consistent processes was achieved due to the familiarity of the business with the process tool Telarc utilises.

As process was changed, updates were posted. This combined with weekly calibration calls between the

“When you are arranging around 1700 audits a year, across multiple geographies and regions against a variety of standards, things have the potential to get very messy, very quickly” tion (or quarantining) was essential.

Telarc employs New Zealanders and we train them and sign them off here in New Zealand. This combined with having auditors spread out from Auckland to Dunedin worked in our favour as lockdowns, quarantine and regional borders limited access and freedom to move around relatively safely.

2.

Process Having a well utilised, maintained and managed cloud-based process management tool allowed us to be able to develop and roll out process change on the 10 propertyandbuild.com

managers and the impacted parts of the business allowed the processes developed to be trialled and refined.

Historically closed mindsets became more open and learnings were captured and integrated into improvements and new releases. The end result was that the method by which remote audits were being conducted became increasingly consistent, as well as being increasingly effective.

Having a more consistent and proven offering then gave the business and the clients confidence that we could do this and that the

result would meet the requisite standard.

Today we are now at a point where we are able to switch the business from any one of three operating models within a matter of hours.

To put it in perspective, the change to level Red, and our need to adjust the operating model, has led to a small number of client-driven adjustments to the schedule being required. A significant change from what we experienced on the March 19, 2020.

3.

Technology This was the area where the greatest level of disruption occurred. The move to remote auditing and working from home required the business to have technology that supported home working, and could remotely support the endto-end activities that make up an audit.

Initially the home office was placed under intense scrutiny where the following was essential for success: i.)

Good (uncongested) home broadband connectivity ii.)

A good office chair and desk located in a quiet part of the house iii.)

Space to spread

Telarc has, for a number of years, provided top of the line technology to its staff as a result of its operating model being predominantly remote.

Home office allowances have been in place for more than seven years and auditors and other staff have been working from home for a number of years. This has allowed to business to prove-out systems and processes in the event of office closures.

On the other side of the equation, we needed to ensure clients had the infrastructure, accessibility and knowledge to be able to confidently be involved and successful in a remote audit world.

Working through the bulk of the evidence/ data via screen share and then uploading it into the cloud became the norm.

We are now nearly two years down the track from the first lockdown and the traditional operating model for certification bodies has been significantly disrupted.

Offering remote, or hybrid remote/on-site, audits as an option is now the norm. Being

Yearbook 2022 able to adjust operating models, seamlessly, has become imperative. Increasing reliance on technology has become the norm.

We are seeing new competitive threats come from off-shore as certification bodies set themselves to offer remote audit services available 24 hours a day, all from lower cost environments.

To compete Telarc has to ensure that we are at the forefront of the changes in our industry, all while employing really good New Zealand based people.

Risk comes in many forms and certification helps over a variety of levels

Over the last 18 months we have embarked on a technology upgrade programme that will increasingly allow us to mirror the end-to-end audit journey our clients experience, plus to increasingly provide ability to self-serve via a portal access.

We have identified that when re-designing a business like ours all aspects of the operation need to be considered as change drives cause and effect up and down the value chain.

The words flexibility and value increasingly falling into our everyday language.

A significant change from compliance and adherence.

We are designing capability into our new office building which moves from the traditional desk and chair to providing sound-proofed workspaces hooked up to high speed, high capacity connectivity.

It is our intention to increasingly move towards provision of a range of audit options and to do it effectively requires a purpose-built workspaces. We have consolidated all of the learnings from the moves in and out of lockdowns into the design of our future

MANAGEMENT

Where to from here?

Telarc is a Jas-anz Accredited Certification Body which provides qualified, competent, New Zealand auditors, who are industry coded to provide relevant and impartial intervention for a large range of New Zealand business regardless of the business size.

The body is able to provide New Zealand business with an individual or a team of auditors capable of assessing one or multiple standards across one or multiple sites.

While the key priority of any commercial relationship is to deliver a product or a service, there is an increasing need from businesses to have confidence that their tendering parties and suppliers are managing their business in a manner that won’t negatively impact the supply relationship.

There are increasing demands from buyers for their suppliers to provide confidence that they are operating their business in a manner that is delivering good quality and environmentally aware

business.

The journey has been challenging but has seen Telarc come through those challenges better prepared for the future and in very good heart.

products (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) while managing workers in a way that protects worker well-being and safety (ISO 45001).

There is more demand across other areas such as ethical work practices, Asset Management (ISO 55001) and IT Management (ISO 27001).

Accredited Certification looks for gaps, risks and improvements in the way that work is actually done versus the way it is planned and communicated.

This provides visibility of where work practice and or documentation anomalies lie in all levels of the business. This then leads to improvement activity so Certification can be granted.

The second growing area that is driving minimisation of risk through Certification is through board and senior leader directives.

Over the last decade, legislation and regulations have looked to push culpability for sub-optimal work practices towards senior leaders and boards.

Philip Cryer is Chief Executive of Telarc, a Crown Entity Subsidiary with a vision is to continue to excel as New Zealand's leading provider of systems assurance and training services. www.telarc.org | 0800 004 004 propertyandbuild.com 11

Yearbook 2022

End year T wrap-up holds clues for 2022 property market PROPERTY

he total value of residential real estate reached $1.72 trillion at the end of Q4 2021, up from $1.35 trillion at the end of 2020, with mortgages secured against 19% of that value, and the other 81% household equity.

These figures come from CoreLogic NZ’s latest Property Market & Economic Update.

The property market likely saw peak rate of growth late in 2021, following a raft of political interventions designed to cool the overheated market, CoreLogic Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson says

12 propertyandbuild.com

Kelvin Davidson CoreLogic Senior Property Economist www.corelogic.co.nz

Despite seeming quite sound at that headline level, household debt is high relative to income.

To some extent the debt has only been sustainable recently because of low mortgage rates.

However, OCR increases and rising home loan interest rates mean households are going to have to adjust their finances fairly quickly to ensure they stay on an even keel with the lending environment changing for everyone.

Owner-occupiers now face a much smaller availability of low-deposit loans, while the CCCFA regulations have caused far more disruption than expected. All borrowers are having to face up to the reality of significant mortgage rate increases too, with further rate hikes expected.

While any further rate rises

could be smaller and slower than those experienced in the second half of 2021, we can’t overlook the fact that about 60% of existing loans need to be refinanced within the next 12 months.

Anybody who fixed for a year in about April/May 2021 could potentially see their mortgage rate double when they review midthis year, which can have a significant impact on household budgets.

Supply and demand rebalance CoreLogic data is already seeing sales activity slow as the market reacts to previous mortgage rate increases and previous changes to lending and tax rules.

Towards the tail end of 2021 there were clearer signs of an easing in the tight supply/demand balance in many parts of Aotearoa.

Wellington and Dunedin have seen total listings rise quite noticeably, as new stock flowed into the market but transactions eased. However, this rise in available property will take some time to show through more clearly in price measures.

Traditionally, when sales

slow, so too does price growth in due course.

Some areas are probably a little more vulnerable to outright house price falls than others, but in general anybody hanging out for a major bargain may be disappointed – with unemployment still low, the story is more about much slower growth in prices rather than meaningful falls.

There’ll still be opportunities however, and the tighter lending environment may play into the hands of those with cash/equity at the expense of others.

Buyer market share CoreLogic’s Buyer Classification series showed that over the course of Q4 2021 mortgaged investors managed to raise their share of purchases from 24% to 25%, pinching a percentage point from movers, whose market share eased down from 27% in Q3 to 26% in Q4 – the lowest figure since Q3 2020.

Meanwhile, first home buyers (FHBs) have held on to their 26% market share in the past few months, even as values and required deposits have increased.

The small bump in

investor market share is still well down on Q1 2021’s peak of 29%.

To be fair, the lingering disruptions from COVID and the alert level changes mean that these market share figures are likely based on a smaller number of deals than probably would otherwise have been the case.

But even so, it’s clear that mortgaged investors’ appetite to purchase property has waned, although they will no doubt still be eyeing up newbuilds.

Construction Another key theme for 2022 will be construction – output, capacity, and cost growth.

Clearly, the LVR and tax system now incentivise both owner-occupiers and investors to seriously consider a new-build purchase. And this should give developers confidence to keep building more new houses.

However, the industry is already red-hot and costs are rising quickly. Even despite solid demand, it’s probable that we may see new dwelling consents tail off a bit this year as the cost to build just gets too high

for some households.

Looking ahead, it’s going to be another fascinating year for the property market, not least because COVID remains a wild card as Omicron’s impact on the country remains uncertain.

The recent move to red is a clear signal that COVID’s disruption is not yet done, which may cause some turbulent times for the NZ economy and property market in the months ahead.

However, despite this, we suspect that by mid-2022 the balance of power could tip towards buyers.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see average value growth slow from almost 30% in 2021 to single digits in 2022.

The potential swing factor for whether or not we see property values actually fall on a more widespread basis is probably unemployment.

However for now, with unemployment very low and looking likely to stay that way, outright house price falls aren’t CoreLogic’s central expectation, but we will be watching unemployment very closely, with any slowdown in the labour market further into 2022 a risk to house prices. propertyandbuild.com 13

PROPERTY

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

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Yearbook 2022 Reproduced by permission JLL New Zealand - www.jll.nz August 2021 Managing Director Todd Lauchlan Head of Research Gavin Read Auckland 09 366 1666 Wellington 04 499 1666

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Build to Rent: an ever more compelling case for NZ

Around only a third of renters in New Zealand consider their house to suit their needs� A similar figure report being able to see their breath inside their home in winter� These are statistics that we simply can’t allow to endure within the fabric of our Future Cities� While Government seeks to address the minimum quality standards of the current pool of rental accommodation, the success target of this is inherently to avoid the worst, rather than provide the best� Furthermore, reliance on mum and dad landlords will continue to prevent us from achieving a consistent level of quality and service for tenants. For this, enter Build to Rent – not as a silver bullet to save us from a housing crisis, but as both a new, standalone asset class and a consistently high quality of living against which to benchmark rental accommodation� 16 propertyandbuild.com

The case for Build to Rent in New Zealand, which has been building for the last few years, has been accelerated by COVID. Economic and social forces on the back of the pandemic have conspired to increase its appeal as a needs-based, defensive investment opportunity. Indeed, the financial case for Build to Rent in New Zealand has arguably never been stronger. Our view is that if Build to Rent schemes can provide wellmanaged environments that are superior in amenity and experience to other rental options, they will be able to secure long term and sustainable rental income streams that provide predictable returns to investors even through challenging economic periods�

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

The opportunity is not just there for institutional or foreign capital either� In the ultimate landlord irony, given the recent media invective directed towards residential property investors, could we see KiwiSaver money used to fund Build to Rent developments, creating warm, secure, fit-for-purpose homes for New Zealanders that provide sustainable returns to all of us?

Simplicity’s Sam Stubbs certainly thinks so – and as he explained to our Wellington audience, the investment case is so strong he wouldn’t need to own the land�

“Auckland is the obvious market for Build to Rent and yet there’s also massive demand in Wellington too. Leasehold or freehold, it doesn’t matter. Tell you what I’ll do you a deal …

I’ll lease it, I’ll build it and in 125 years I’ll give it to you as we would have got the economics back over that time!”

Sam Stubbs propertyandbuild.com 17

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1 MANAGEMENT

2 3 4 5 6

Affordability • • •

Flexible lease terms (length, inflation linked) Reasonableness in dealing with deposits and rental increase Predictable rent increase

Quality • • •

Building design and fit-out specifically tailored for BTR Communal and intern parts of property maintained Regular maintenance and consistent levels of high quality

Convenience • • •

On-site concierge and responsive maintenance team Offerings such as cleaning and ‘plug and play’ utilities Rent and all-inclusive bills paid through one online portal

Customers service • • •

Professional and incentivised staff Guaranteed levels of service Transparency

Place and community • • •

Interaction fostered between neighbours Opportunity for existing friends to move in Enhanced feeling of security with concierge and community

Flexibility and certainty of tenure • • •

Entended lease terms with tenant breaks Potential to upsize or downsize to meet evolving lifestyles Certainty that the property will remain a rented property

Figure 4 Taken from Paul’s BTR Four Values report (page 39) 18 propertyandbuild.com

Yearbook 2022

“If BTR schemes can provide well-managed environments that are superior in experience to other rental options, they will be able to secure long term and sustainable rental income streams that provide predictable returns to investors even through challenging economic periods.”

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Paul Winstanley

propertyandbuild.com 19

Yearbook 2022

8 key themes shaping our

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future cities

The global pandemic

Smart cities technology

An obvious starting point, but the enduring influence of COVID cannot be ignored. A prolonged period of uncertainty such as this is no time for making definitive statements on the future.

Rather, we believe that corporate leaders and policy makers should take a scenario approach, asking what if, not stating what will, to ensure future resilience and adaptability for our cities against a range of political, social, economic, and environmental factors�

We have the technology and capability to collect data – and it’s important that this data is used to inform policy makers on better decision-making to improve the quality of life. Auckland is the only city from New Zealand or Australia to feature in Technology Magazine’s Top 10 Global Smart Cities, while Wellington has been recognised by Cognizant as one of the ‘21 Places of the Future’ for high-tech jobs� Based on this, we have a running start on the race to the future�

20 propertyandbuild.com

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Yearbook 2022

Flexible work practices

Consumption patterns

COVID has shown us that we can be productive from a variety of settings, not just the traditional office. The hybrid work model is here to stay and will be a constant around which company culture must adapt� We go into more detail on this over the page, but initial observations are that the 45+ range of workers may be happier to work at home, whereas younger employees, who want to learn through osmosis and perhaps don’t have a home environment that lends itself to productive remote working, may want more time in the office.

This is not just an e-commerce story� The oldest part of Gen Z has just turned 25, which means our largest consumer audience is also our most socially aware and connected� Retailers have responded to the inexorable rise of the conscious consumer by prioritising transparency and providing visibility of supply-chain logistics to prove ethical and equitable treatment of everyone connected to the provenance of the goods or service�

propertyandbuild.com 21

Yearbook 2022

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Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) New Zealand always ranks highly on JLL’s Transparency Index, coming in at #6 in our most recent iteration among other countries like France, Canada, and the United Kingdom. But drilling into the data, we find that there are countries ranking lower overall, such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden, and Singapore that actually outperform New Zealand on transparency around sustainability, so there is plenty of room for improvement here�

22 propertyandbuild.com

Social infrastructure As we heard from Emma McInnes at our Wellington event, cities can only be considered great when they are designed for everyone� For our cities to endure into the future, they must be inclusive and appeal to a broad demographic profile. Social infrastructure is not an engineering construct, it’s a reflection of diverse and inspiring leadership that makes decisions in the interests of all its citizens�

Built form adaptability

Real estate asset pricing

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” The famous Winston Churchill quote can still ring true, but the relationship between person and property requires ever greater fluidity. A sustainable future city needs to consider the response of buildings to the changing needs of both owners and users, and the demand of external factors over the life cycle of the asset�

The recent convergence in global bond yields has taken away the significant spread in the risk-free rate that we used to see between New Zealand and other mature economies� This has important implications in terms of how we differentiate asset prices between different cities and geographies.

With implied market risk premium an increasingly influential factor, our view is that the return expectations or requirements from real estate investment from global capital sources in New Zealand will be lower�

Reproduced by permission JLL New Zealand - www.jll.nz August 2021 Managing Director Todd Lauchlan Head of Research Gavin Read Auckland 09 366 1666 Wellington 04 499 1666 Christchurch 03 375 6600

propertyandbuild.com 23

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Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022 Reproduced by permission JLL New Zealand - www.jll.nz August 2021 Managing Director Todd Lauchlan Head of Research Gavin Read Auckland 09 366 1666 Wellington 04 499 1666

MANAGEMENT

Christchurch 03 375 6600

Industrial sector taking big strides but aiming to leave

small footprints

While COVID-accelerated behaviour changes may have forced the retail, hospitality, and office sectors to change tack to adapt, the industrial sector is riding a tailwind straight out of the pandemic, forging ahead on the same growth path� The minimum additional 1.1M sqm of space we believe will be needed by 2025 to keep pace with population growth – calculated at a rate of 4.5sqm per person - will require the full current pipeline of projects across Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to be completed� However, it’s worth noting that declining land availability and construction cost pressures are making development in these geographic markets increasingly challenging�

24 propertyandbuild.com

In our wider look at New Zealand’s prospects at the start of this publication, we highlighted the rise of E and Q-commerce as a core driver of demand for industrial property� But as our population continues to grow, there will be other important factors at play that will shape future industrial development and redevelopment� New Zealand’s high level of urbanisation – almost 90% of our population is classified as urban, against a global average of 56% – is the perfect foil for our maturing E-commerce market, enabling retailers and logistics providers to service large consumer groups from a single location�

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Yearbook 2022

Within this sector, food retailing has emerged as a key driver of growth� Last year food accounted for 40% of retail spend – and as food retailers continue to expand their supply chain capacity, their industrial footprint also grows� Having averaged 38% of all retail sales for the preceding decade, last year’s figure was only partially inflated by COVID and we expect food retail to remain a steady driver of industrial demand over the medium-to-long term� But perhaps the most defining trend when looking at the future of the industrial buildings will be their environmental footprint, not their physical one�

Over 70% of emissions associated with an industrial building’s life cycle are released during the occupation phase, meaning tenants of poor-performing buildings risk significant brand damage. Assets that fail to keep up with industrial occupiers’ evolving environmental, social, governance requirements risk extended let up times, shorter lease terms, and declining asset values� Therefore, we’re likely to see the kind of emissionsminimising technology inherent in contemporary design, such as solar power and water recycling, retrofitted into existing stock.

propertyandbuild.com 25

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Yearbook 2022

Artist’s impression: Foodstuffs’ new distribution facility includes 2,915 solar panels on the roof covering approximately 6,000sqm - the largest anywhere in New Zealand.

Improved sustainability is not only better for brand and marketability, but also bottom line� According to a report from the New Zealand Green Building Council, savings on operating costs over a 5-year period can be as high as 15% in Green Star rated industrial buildings; while the World Building Council calculates that a 2% upfront cost to support sustainable design principles can result in an average saving of 20% of total construction cost over a building’s lifetime�

26 propertyandbuild.com

The green future of the sector is already here� The roof of Foodstuffs’ new distribution facility features 6,000 sqm of solar panels, creating enough energy to power the equivalent of over 200 new homes, while Air New Zealand’s new 5,000 sqm Inflight Logistics Warehouse is naturally ventilated through operable louvres and features clear roofing to reduce the need for electric lighting� These are the big strides needed to leave smaller footprints�

S

Kiwi innovation leading the way in concrete slab insulation

Why do I need to insulate the concrete slab?

Slab insulation is important not only to save on energy bills for future owners and tenants, but also to improve comfort.

Insulation will reduce heat loss and make the slab easier to heat. It offers a layer of projection against moisture and will provide a thermal mass to regulate temperatures.

If embedded floor heating is incorporated in a concrete slab-on-ground, the slab must be insulated so that heat from the slab is delivered up into the space above and not lost to the exterior and ground below.

A new generation of Expanded Polystyrene Board insulation has arrived

LABX200 is specifically designed to deliver high compressive strength and improve insulation under concrete slabs.

Developed by trusted Kiwi insulation experts EXPOL, this exciting new innovation has quickly become the product of choice for specifiers and others in the construction industry.

Wayne Watson Technical Manager EXPOL doing a visual check of SLABX200 to ensure it meets EXPOL’s high technical specifications.

What makes SLABX200 different?

We chatted to Wayne Watson a Structural EPS and GeoFoam Consultant at EXPOL to see what makes SLABX200 different.

Wayne told us that due to its compressive strength rating of 200Kpa there is no comparable product on the market. He states “SLABX200 is specifically designed for insulating concrete slabs.

It has a rating of 200kpa at 10 percent compression or 20 ton per square meter.

Its high performance specs are designed to give Engineer’s peace of mind so that they can recommend this product with 100 percent confidence”.

The team at EXPOL recognised that there was nothing on the market that offered a cost-effective yet high performance solution to concrete insulation.

So they set about to develop a product with New Zealand residential and commercial projects in mind.

The durable nature of SLABX200 means that it won’t degrade over time, keeping its integrity for the life of the structure.

Due to the lightweight nature of Expanded Polystyrene the product is also easy to handle and install making quick work of slab insulation on site.

How does this product compare to Healthy Homes standards?

The Healthy Homes insulation standards across New Zealand states than underfloor insulation should have an R-Value of 1.3 or

greater.

With several thicknesses available SLABX200 ranges from an R-Value of R 1.5 at 50mm thickness through to an impressive R6.0 at 200mm thickness.

Therefore, all thicknesses offer R-Values over and above the standards to ensure healthy and efficient homes.

How does this product work in my sustainable building project?

The team at EXPOL are committed to the environment. In a true closed loop process 100 percent of manufacturing waste is recycled in their seven recycling plants nationwide.

Expanded Polystyrene offers great eco credentials and at the end of a products life it can be turned into other EXPOL products.

The high performance of the SLABX product also ensures that your building project is sustainable to heat and cool and therefore leading to less energy consumption over the life of the building.

If you’d like to learn more about the SLABX200 product, the team at EXPOL are happy to have a chat. Visit their website on www.expol.co.nz or give the Technical Manager at call on 0800 86 33 73. propertyandbuild.com 27

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Sponsored Article

Yearbook 2022

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Yearbook 2022

Breathing fresh life into the office

experience

Asked if COVID-19 has killed the office, as was widely proclaimed through the media over the last year, JLL Workplace Strategy Consulting Director Bryan Froud says it’s not dead, rather merely resting as it awaits to see what the next normal will bring� What we do know though, is that it won’t be the same again� The pandemic has undoubtedly brought disruption to the workplace, but it has been an accelerant of changes that have long been signalled through wider social and societal influences.

JLL’s hybrid working model characterises four distinct worker profiles that reflect personality types rather than age or gender� These range from the traditional office worker, who draws succour from the status quo, to the free spirit who’s happy to work from anywhere except a desk with their name on it. The requirement to accommodate differing expectations and offer a highly personalised solution to employees will be what defines the office of the future. This will demand an emotional and physical response from employers� 28 propertyandbuild.com

While a reduction in daily headcount shouldn’t automatically give rise to a reduction in floorplate, it will require a reappraisal of how office space should be used� Post-COVID, we see there being a real risk that employers revert to type, keeping amenities that will have little impact on productivity, talent retention, or job satisfaction while overlooking more impactful design improvements and services such as collaboration spaces and end-of-trip facilities� Successfully addressing this disconnect will be integral to the creation of the next generation of office space.

We believe there are three key themes when designing for the hybrid workforce; themes we’ve categorised as Flexibility, Digital Drive, and the Liquid Workforce.

Yearbook 2022

Reproduced by permission JLL New Zealand - www.jll.nz August 2021 Managing Director Todd Lauchlan Head of Research Gavin Read Auckland 09 366 1666 Wellington 04 499 1666

MANAGEMENT

Christchurch 03 375 6600

The Traditional Office worker

The Experience Lover

The Wellness Addict

The Free Spirit

Full time from the office

1 to 2 days a week from home

3 to 4 days a week from home

Full-time from home

34%

“Once the pandemic is over, everything can go back to normal.”

32%

24%

“I am looking for a vibrant working life.”

“My well-being and work-life balance are my priorities.”

10%

“I was already hyper flex in my workstyles - the crisis gives me the opportunity to go a step further.”

Figure 2 Taken from Auckland FC presentation (page 7) propertyandbuild.com 29

Yearbook 2022

78% 76%

Impact on performance

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74% 72%

Immersive tech/VR Wellness spaces

Not widely available but large impact on performance

Creative spaces

Project Management Tools

Privacy spaces Business Intelligence Learning & Development Coworking spaces Learning spaces Sports rooms Social Customer Brainstorming tools Networking Relationship Outdoor spaces Cafes Restaurants, Lounge

70%

Quiet spaces Breakout Spaces

68%

Community spaces

Widely available but lower impact on performance

66% 64% 10%

Team Collaboration tools Document Management Remote Tools Working tools Mobility tools

20%

30%

40%

Communication tools Meeting rooms

50%

60%

70%

80%

Availability to employees

Figure 2 Taken from Auckland FC presentation (page 7)

Flexibility is driven largely by the prevailing sense of uncertainty, and we’re therefore seeing tenants demand expansion and contraction clauses, and landlords offer overflow co-working spaces within the building� We’re also seeing a demand for flexible design like desks on castors, less joinery, more modular spaces, and dual or tri-purpose space whereby the kitchen is no longer just the kitchen, but a townhall and client collaboration space too offering multiple spaces for the size and price of one�

30 propertyandbuild.com

The notion that what we’ve experienced over the last year or so has been a digital disruption is inherently flawed, as we’ve always had the digital tools, just not the impetus to use them� So the Digital Drive we talk about focuses on how we can harness design and technology to facilitate collaboration amongst the hybrid workforce, seamlessly connecting those in the office with those at home or elsewhere with the right level of privacy and acoustics. But it’s equally a learning and development exercise to upskill digital literacy to facilitate these types of sessions, without compromising the experience for any participant.

Yearbook 2022

Business Disruption

Future of work

The Opportunity

Business Continuity Plans

Traditional path

New-Old Normal

Inflection Point

Time Today

2021

Figure 3 Taken from Auckland FC presentation (page 39)

The Liquid Workforce was a nomenclature coined five years ago by Accenture as they explained that with all the digital tools available, many workers would essentially be able to do their job from anywhere. COVID will accentuate and accelerate the speed with which this change is embraced� We’re already starting to see countries, particularly across Europe and the Americas, offer Digital Nomad Visas to encourage, for example, Silicon Valley salaries to be spent in their local economies.

The sense of geoarbitrage doesn’t have to extend globally either, as the hybrid workforce will encourage domestic relocation from urban to rural or regional locations, where house prices and the cost of living are cheaper�

So how do we manage the physical and cultural transition from traditional to hybrid office life, and avoid reverting to type? Having done such an amazing job in managing the pandemic, we need to be wary of resting on our laurels and, without experiencing the same level of disruption as much of the rest of the world, try to return to our old normal� We believe 2021 is the year to experiment; to test and learn how the hybrid worker model works in a post-COVID environment, and then take these learnings and expand on them. We are ahead of the curve but run the risk of falling behind if we do nothing� The opportunity is there, we just need the confidence to grasp it.

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Next Normal

Business Disruption Event

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Yearbook 2022

Is it better to litigate or deviate to alternatives Are negotiation, mediation and arbitration feasible alternatives to litigation?

This report by AMAAS director Jerome Matthews provides a definitive guide for decision makers

T

he answer to the question above is, of course, “Yes in a heartbeat”.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) clauses, as the options are known, should be professionally drafted and inserted at the time of negotiating contracts or drafting terms of trade, not left until a problem arises.

The benefits include speed of resolution, flexibility, substantial costsaving and the satisfaction gained from resolving your own problems rather than having an expensive litigated decision foisted upon you by a judicial tribunal.

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Litigation

Anyone who has ever been involved in building their own business or practised in some way in commercial law will be familiar with the feelings which arise when a dispute raises its ugly head.

The feelings may not be the same in all

The lawyers may nod sympathetically at the predicament but inwardly be rubbing their hands together with glee at the prospect of the injection of fees.

It is frequently stated, not only in jest, that the only winners in litigation are the lawyers; a centuries old

"As the length of the trial increases with matters becoming less straightforward so do the costs increase" parties, indeed they may be vastly different with the businessperson on whichever side of the dispute having a sense of foreboding as to what costs and subsequent losses may be caused by the dispute.

perception as the painting depicts.

When a business dispute arises, more often than not, the first thing which disputants do is to give their lawyers a call. This is understandable, particularly

as it may be as a response to a lawyer’s letter sent by the “aggrieved” party.

The problem with this is that it’s the first step on the slippery slope to escalating legal fees. Drafting a Letter of Demand can cost $750 + GST and drafting a response likely to be a similar sum dependent upon the time involved.

Fees may vary if one shops around, but from there spending on legal fees may escalate.

Of course, a good lawyer is worth his or her weight in gold, well-worthy of their fees and may ensure that you win your case – and who doesn’t want to win?

There’s the knub; litigation is always a win-lose, not a win-win situation. One

All legal information published in this table is general information. It is not legal advice or a substitute for legal advice. It does not address specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity. No warranty, guarantee or undertaking is made about the accuracy or completeness of the information. This content was originally published by CourtKeys.com in 2017

party wins, the other loses; the loser frequently having to pay a proportion of the winners legal fees and other costs.

That is a proportion, not all, of the winner’s costs.

The winner still has to pay a reasonable proportion of his/her own expenses, usually around one third, notwithstanding they have won. (see table) Even if, as frequently happens, the litigation is settled at the door of the court, often the best which parties can come away with is bearing their own legal costs, which may not be insubstantial.

Solicitor’s time has to be paid for in preparation, correspondence with their own client and the opponent’s lawyers; conferences with clients and perhaps Counsel; pre-trial hearings; adjournments; costs of trial; damages hearings; perhaps hearings on costs.

It is always difficult to give an exact estimation of what

civil litigation legal fees will be but the table is an estimate for various types of cases of what would be charged in 2017 in New Zealand.

Since publication this estimate will have changed and it is referred to only by way of an example of the costs of civil litigation in New Zealand during that period. Costs in Australia

As the length of the trial increases with the matters becoming less straightforward so do the costs similarly increase.

It is a similar picture for District Court Civil litigation with short, straightforward trials not being financially viable although the Disputes Tribunal is available for claims under $15,000. Longer, more

"The lawyers may nod sympathetically but inwardly be rubbing their hands together at the prospect of the injection of fees" would be similar but not identical.

As seen in the table, a contested, straightforward High Court Action in New Zealand, lasting two days would have cost each party, in 2017, $35,018 with the successful litigant recovering $25.078 of that sum. This, of course means, that the unsuccessful litigant would be paying in the order of $60,096. ($35,018+25,078); not a small sum.

complicated District Court actions are, again, expensive, notwithstanding the likelihood of a twothirds reimbursement to the successful litigant.

Also, in a civil trial the parties have no choice as to the person deciding the outcome, the judge. He is an appointee of The State. The judge does not generally assist the litigants to work through the matters in dispute, effectively leaving the litigants to

paddle their own canoes with the assistance of their lawyers.

Further, the disputants obtain no individual satisfaction in achieving the outcome as it is imposed upon them by the trial judge.

The matters for determination in litigation are set out in what are known as the pleadings.

These are generally a factually correct statement of the matters at large and litigants are able to give their versions when and if they come to give evidence.

The rules of court can be inflexible with errors often punished by way of a costs order against the erring party. Generally, court proceedings do not allow for the litigants to give their versions as they see it.

Lastly, is the element of time. Formal court litigation has to go through the rigid process which is set out in the rules. Notwithstanding expedition of proceedings, it can still take up a lot propertyandbuild.com 33

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of time -- sometimes going years rather than months.

There may also be a number of appeals which will also draw out the proceedings. (One of the longest trials of which I am aware took place in The Philippines with the whole process lasting some 15 years if my memory serves me correctly. This is unusual).

Alternative Dispute Resolution

This report will give an insight into several, but not all, possible branches of Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR Generally, ADR is the procedure for settling disputes without litigation -- such as negotiation, mediation, medarb, arbmed, arbitration, adjudication and conciliation.

There are others but here I shall concentrate 34 propertyandbuild.com

on the first five with medarb and arbmed fitting together with both mediation and arbitration.

ADR procedures are usually less costly and more expeditious. They are increasingly being utilised in disputes that would otherwise result in litigation, including highprofile labour disputes, divorce actions, commercial disputes and personal

disputants are, arguably, getting the worst of both worlds with the litigation process and the ADR process running in tandem.

One area, but by no means the only one, where courts order ADR is to require parties in matrimonial proceedings, including in relation to children of the union, to attend mediation.

Being court-ordered this is not always taken by the

“ADR procedures are often collaborative and allow the parties to understand each other's positions” injury claims.

Many of these are court ordered which means that they come into play as part of the court litigation process. What happens in such instances is that the litigation process will have been commenced, with the court becoming seized of the dispute.

Court fees will have been paid and lawyers engaged at their usual costs. The result of this is that the

parties with the gravitas which it deserves. In the writer’s opinion for ADR to fulfil its potential it largely needs to be entered into voluntarily and not as a requirement imposed by a court.

If you wish to avoid potentially expensive and time-consuming litigation, then you should include an alternative dispute resolution clause in your terms of trade or in a formal

contract.

Such a clause, properly drawn, will either prevent court litigation completely or prevent it until certain preliminary procedures have been complied with.

Such clauses can be complicated and should not be drafted by those not skilled in the law or ADR consultants.

One of the primary reasons parties may prefer ADR proceedings is that, unlike adversarial litigation, ADR procedures are often collaborative and allow the parties to understand each other's positions.

ADR also allows the parties to come up with more creative solutions that a court may not be legally allowed to impose. This is not generally achieved by having ADR imposed upon the parties.

Further, after two years of dealing with the covid pandemic both practitioners and participants in the various forms of ADR have become adept at conducting and appearing

in proceedings conducted electronically by way of Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other platforms. It has opened-up the international field of practitioners to all disputants.

Negotiation

A negotiation is a strategic discussion that resolves a matter or matters in contention in a way that both parties find acceptable. In a negotiation, each party tries to persuade the other to agree with his or her point of view. By negotiating all involved parties try to avoid arguing but agree to reach some form of compromise.

On a very basic level negotiation is a facility we all use every day of our lives to navigate our way through our daily chores.

Whether it’s to conclude a multi-million-dollar deal or get the children to do

their homework; when we allow someone to pass through a door before us or we give way to another vehicle at a road junction or roundabout we are enabling life to continue through a system of negotiation. We are moving our positions forward or preventing disputes from arising.

What is often overlooked is that, should a dispute arise, then the simplest and

of the court system in the resolution of disputes then the resolution clause should be drawn to give this effect.

Such being the case either the terms of trade or a contract should be drawn with this in mind and containing such a dispute resolution clause.

A term in the disputes resolution section should contain a requirement that in the event of a

“The best time to confront a potential business dispute is before it arises.” most effective way to try and resolve it is through negotiation between the parties, either alone or aided by their lawyer or ADR consultant.

This may seem trite but it is often said that the best time to confront a potential business dispute is before it arises. If it is wished to exclude the interference

dispute it should be attempted to be resolved by negotiation between the parties conducted in good faith. There is a lot of law surrounding this area so expert assistance should be sought in the drafting.

Notwithstanding negotiation is the first stage of the ADR journey it serves a number of

important areas. It can and does result in the early resolution of disputes between the parties. Even if that is not achieved it may narrow the areas of dispute and concentrate the minds of the disputants.

Finally it may assist the disputants in determining how to approach a future mediation which is very often the next step in the ADR proceeding.

It should also be kept in mind that effective negotiation is not only used in the resolution of disputes but also in agreeing business contracts. In such a situation a party cannot do too much preparation and it must be remembered that the first offer made or received is just that – the first offer and it is most unlikely to be the best offer. Each party is trying to obtain the best deal available for itself.

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In the event of a failure in the negotiation parties may move on to Mediation.

Mediation

Mediation is a structured negotiation process in which an independent person, known as a mediator, assists the parties to identify and assess options and negotiate an agreement to resolve their dispute. Mediation is an alternative to a judge imposing a decision on the parties through the means of a trial.

All cases, regardless of their complexity or number of parties, are eligible to be referred to mediation either by the courts or by the parties themselves. The types of matters commonly mediated include commercial and corporations law, intellectual property, industrial law, consumer law, human rights, admiralty, tax and costs.

36 propertyandbuild.com

Some factors about a dispute may indicate that it is particularly suited to mediation, such as: • • • • •

A willingness to participate in mediation The possibility that a judge's decision will not end the dispute The need for parties to find a way to preserve their relationship The existence of non-monetary factors and The potential for a negotiated outcome that better suits the needs and interests of the parties than a judge's decision.

•

•

Why mediate?

Mediation offers many benefits over a trial by a judge, including: • Time: ordinarily a dispute can be re-

•

solved more quickly through mediation than through a trial.

Cost: if a dispute can be resolved through mediation, the costs of preparing and running a trial can be avoided. Additionally, after a trial the unsuccessful party may be ordered to pay the legal costs of the successful party; this will not happen in a mediation so a disputant knows from an early stage what the costs are likely to be.

Flexibility: mediation offers parties more control over the outcome. A mediation process which is customised to your needs can be arranged with the mediator.

Stress: mediation is

•

•

•

less formal and less intimidating than appearing in court.

Confidentiality: mediation is private. Should the dispute ultimately go to court litigation the judge is not informed of the contents of the mediation and It is also usually unable to be used against a party if the case goes to trial. Make sure to discuss mediation confidentiality with your lawyer.

Satisfaction: because the parties decide and agree on the outcome of their dispute they are more likely to be satisfied with the result and to comply with what has been agreed.

Finality: once signed, settlement agreements can usually only be modified with

the agreement of all parties.

Who attends mediation?

The parties are in ultimate control of any decision to resolve their dispute.

It is essential that people attend the mediation with sufficient knowledge of the relevant matters in dispute and the authority to make decisions about how it might settle after the mediation.

If attending on behalf of an organisation the attendee should be an authorised officer who is able to make a decision about how the dispute might be settled and to enter into an agreement on behalf of the organisation.

If you are not legally represented you may ask to bring someone for support if you wish.

Who will be the mediator?

Parties may agree to use any accredited mediator or one may be appointed.

What happens at mediation?

Before commencing mediation, the mediator will consider the best process for mediating your dispute,

taking into account suggestions from all parties where possible.

The mediation will commence with an explanation of the process, followed by a discussion about the background of the matter and issues in dispute.

The mediation itself is flexible and can be tailored to the circumstances. Mediators may assist negotiations by asking questions, encouraging open discussion, offering different perspectives and expressing issues

If agreement is reached about all or part of the dispute, the details of that agreement will usually be recorded and signed by all parties before the end of mediation.

In a court-ordered mediation if the dispute is settled in full the mediator will notify the judge that the matter has settled.

The mediator will not provide the judge with any details of the mediation discussions or the terms of any agreement the parties

“The mediation itself is flexible and can be tailored to the circumstances” in alternative ways.

Parties may be encouraged to identify and test the consequences of potential solutions. It is common for the mediator to meet with the parties jointly and separately and further mediation sessions can be scheduled if necessary.

What are the possible outcomes of mediation?

The case may be settled in full, in part or parties may not be able to reach agreement.

reached without the permission of the parties, save in particular cases.

Once the agreement is finalised the parties will usually formally notify the Court that the case is not going to proceed and the case will be closed.

If the matter is not fully settled there may be discussion about what needs to be done and the parties may either return for further mediation with the same or a different mediator or the parties may prepare for trial.

Many matters which do

not resolve either fully or in part at the mediation process do so shortly thereafter either at a recommenced mediation of or by the parties picking up the negotiation themselves.

Sometimes the judge will order that if the matter does not resolve at mediation, then the Judicial Registrar may conduct a case management conference ('CMC'). A CMC is a hearing at which the parties and the Judicial Registrar discuss how the matter can be most efficiently prepared for final hearing, amongst other things.

Orders may be made by the Judicial Registrar at a CMC (but not at mediation).

Unlike mediation, CMCs are conducted on an open basis, as if the parties were in Court. The mediation will be formally terminated before any CMC begins.

How much does mediation cost?

Depending upon the complexity of the mediation and the expertise of the mediator daily fees could be in the region of $2,000 - $6,000 per day for a commercial mediation. The New Zealand Disputes Resolution

propertyandbuild.com 37

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022 Centre fees may be found here.

MANAGEMENT

Arb-Med/MedArb or Arbitration proper

If yours is one of the relatively low number of disputes which fails to resolve either by negotiation or mediation, providing the dispute resolution clause is properly and carefully drawn, the disputants may still move forward towards resolution through either ArbMed/MedArb or Arbitration proper In arbitration, a neutral, professionally trained arbitrator serves as a judge who is responsible for resolving the dispute. Similar to a lawsuit, the arbitrator listens to arguments and evidence, then renders a

sion maker, ease of access to the tribunal, continuity, finality, and enforceability of the outcome.”

How Does Med-Arb Work?

In a med-arb process, parties first reach agreement on the terms of the process itself. Typically—and unlike in most mediations—they must agree in writing that the outcome of the process will be binding.

Next, they attempt to negotiate a resolution to their dispute with the help of a mediator. As in a traditional mediation, the mediator may suggest conferencing with each party individually to discuss possible proposals in addition to bringing the disputants together to air their views and brain-

“In med-arb, if the mediation ends in an impasse, or if some matters remain unresolved, the process isn’t over” binding decision.

ArbMed/MedArb has been defined as a “hybrid dispute resolution process that combines the benefits of arbitration and mediation, including speed, procedural flexibility, confidentiality, choice of deci-

38 propertyandbuild.com

storm solutions.

In med-arb, if the mediation ends in an impasse, or if some matters remain unresolved, the process isn’t over.

At this point, parties can move on to arbitration.

The mediator can assume

the role of arbitrator (if he or she is qualified to do so) and render a binding decision quickly based on his/her judgments, either on the case as a whole or on the unresolved matters.

Alternatively, an arbitrator can take over the case after consulting with the mediator.

The Benefits of MedArb

Typically, the med-arb process ends with a successfully negotiated agreement, and the arbitration stage is not necessary.

The threat of having a third party render a decision in binding arbitration often motivates disputants to reach an agreement.

For this reason, med-arb can be a wise choice when parties are facing intense pressure to reach a resolution by a deadline, as in a time limited dispute. It can also be beneficial when disputants need to work effectively with one another in the future.

Finally, med-arb can also be cost-effective: when disputants hire one person to serve as mediator and arbitrator, they eliminate the need to start the arbitration from square one if media-

tion fails.

Potential deficiencies of Med-Arb

There are caveats to factor in when you’re considering med-arb. When disputants are aware that their mediator could ultimately make a binding decision about the case, they may feel inhibited about sharing confidential information with him or her about their interests.

If the mediation moves to arbitration, it could be difficult for the mediator-turned-arbitrator to “forget” that confidential information and focus exclusively on jointly shared information. Disputants might avoid this possibility by having different individuals serve as mediator and arbitrator, though this solution requires additional time and cost.

What About ArbMed?

The concern about the revelation of confidential information in med-arb is eliminated in arb-med, a little-known alternative dispute resolution process.

In arb-med—which, as it sounds, functions somewhat in the reverse of medarb—a trained, neutral third

party hears disputants’ evidence and testimony in an arbitration; writes an award but keeps it from the parties; attempts to mediate the parties’ dispute; and unseals and issues her previously determined binding award if the parties fail to reach agreement, writes Richard Fullerton in an article in the Dispute Resolution Journal.

Although this process removes the concern about

where parties to a dispute choose an independent third party (known as an arbitrator) to resolve a dispute. It is a voluntary process – both parties need to agree to it either through a term in their contract, a dispute resolution clause or by way of an ad hoc agreement.

The arbitrator may be appointed or chosen by the parties but needs to be independent of both parties.

• •

•

•

"Arbitration is arguably the closest thing to determination of a dispute by litigation” misuse of confidential information, it does not remove the pressure on parties to reach agreement in mediation, notes Fullerton. It also raises a new problem: the arbitrator/mediator cannot change the previous award based on new insights gained during the mediation. As a result, they may pressure the parties to reach an agreement to avoid revealing an award with which they now disagree.

Arbitration

When all other avenues have been unsuccessfully explored a well drafted dispute resolution clause can guide you to arbitration which should be your final destination in your dispute.

Arbitration is a process

Decisions of the arbitrator(s) are legally binding but and if desired, you can be legally represented in an arbitration.

Arbitration is arguably the closest thing to determination of a dispute by litigation in the ADR arena. The dispute may be determined by a hearing with parties represented by professional advocates and the matter decided by an arbitrator(s), the decision-making tribunal, of one or more participants,or decided upon consideration of the papers and written submissions alone which makes for a swift, inexpensive resolution of the dispute.

Arbitration can offer a number of benefits: •

The process is flexible

•

and can be tailored to suit the needs of participants.

Costs can be and often are lower than court proceedings.

Outcomes can generally be achieved faster than for court proceedings.

Decisions are legally binding and final, providing certainty for all participants.

Decisions are confidential, unless the parties agree otherwise.

The dispute may go to a hearing or it may be determined on the papers and an award handed down after consideration of the documentation and submissions.

Costs of arbitration will vary according to the complexity of the matter; willingness of parties to have the matter settled and any legal representation and advice that is needed.

Overall costs are generally lower than for court proceedings, as they can be contained by negotiating such things as time frames for submissions, size of submissions, which aspects of the matter will be included or excluded, how many meetings are to be held and whether meetings will be in person or online and whether the matter is decided at a hearing or on the documents.

Photos: The Law-suit, 1885 - Wix Media - Rodeo Project Management, Cytonn Photography, Romain V, Scott Graham (Unsplash) - Pixabay (Pexels)

Content Partner Jerome Matthews was called to The Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, London in 1980 followed by The Bar of The Supreme Court of Hong Kong in 1983 and The Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia in 1986.

In 1992 he successfully completed a Post Graduate Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution. The course encompassed international trade negotiations, International Mediations and International Commercial Arbitration. www.amaassolutions.com j.matthews@amaassolutions.com propertyandbuild.com 39

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

N E W

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YEARBOOK 2022

April - May 2021

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No worries about penalties Inspectors and certifiers These are all cost-effective measures whichsadd eitvalue lanetopyour tuobusiness. ba seirrow oN justof accurate compliance with–years expertise Talk to us today about compliance tools, which confirm you are a good employer, ecenvironment nailpmoby c esafely tarumanaging cca tsuj – warn of a declining national the advice to enable safe to safeguarding employees and our committed workplace chemical safety your chemical inventory. efas eht elbane ot ecivda management and handling performance. gnildnah dna tnemeganam A crucial factor is the substances Responsible Care NZ of hazardous continuing loss of onsite 04 499 4311 secnatsbus suodrazah fo and safety dangerous goods in chemical advice, www.responsiblecarenz.com ni sdoog suoregnad dna primarily to replacing yourdueworkplace. flawed but effective man.ecalpkrow ruoy datory Approved Handlers ed Global Harmonisation specialist training, through- and emergency response with whatever employers System (GHS). out the product life cycle. organisations all benefit now deem sufficient.

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Yearbook 2022

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF

Construction industry suicides: numbers, Ch report prepared for MATES in Construction N uicide and Mental

Gabrielle Jenkin, June Atkinson. Health Research Group, Department of Psycholo Te Rōpū Rangahau i te Mate Whakamomori me te Hauora Hinengaro. University o

While construction workers make up about 9.5% of all workers, the study found that betw were employed in the sector.

This definition comprises of 112 occupations at the 6-digit level of the Australian and New

Drawing on data from closed cases of suicide (coded intentional self-harm) in the Nationa found the following main findings.

HEALTH

OF THE 5,814 SUICIDES IN THE 12 YEARS 2542 SUICIDE CASES WERE WORKING AT THE TIME OF DEATH

583 WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY

AND THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ARE AT

THERE ARE HIGHER NUMBERS OF SUICIDES IN

LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OCCUPATIONS

MORE THAN

2x

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FROM 35 TO 65 AND THE SU 16% 13.7% AG

M Y

RISK OF DYING BY SUICIDE COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORKFORCE*

FO 45

OCCUPATIONS WITH THE HIGHE

LABOURER

TECHNICIANS & TRADES

PAINTING TRADES

*MEN AGED 20-24 HAD THE HIGHEST RATE OF SUICIDE IN CONSTRUCTION AT 32.94 PER 100,000 COMPARED TO 18.72

research fi “ These important than ev

focus on mental h We know that for male constructio a group that is lik help or reach out

- MATES CEO VICTOR

44 safetynews.co.nz

Yearbook 2022

haracteristics, and rates: NZ S

ogical Medicine. of Otago

ween 17.3% (2010/11) and 29.7% (2018/2019) of those who died by suicide in New Zealand

w Zealand Standard Classification of Occupation (ANZSCO).

SUICIDES BY YEAR RANGED HIGHEST PROPORTION OF UICIDES IN THE INDUSTRY BY GE RANGE WAS

21.3% OF THOSE THAT WE LOST WERE MAORI.

OLLOWED BY MALE 5-49 YEAR OLDS

THIS COMPARES TO 16% THAT WERE LOST FROM OUR MAORI POPULATION OUTSIDE OF CONSTRUCTION

MALE 20–24 YEAR-OLDS

EST NUMBER OF SUICIDES WERE

CARPENTERS & JOINERS

ELECTRICIANS

PLUMBERS

THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUICIDES WERE IN

UCKLAND FOLLOWED BY C

RISTCHURCH

PER 100,000 FOR MEN WORKING OUTSIDE OF CONSTRUCTION.

“

RIA MCARTHUR

important piece of New Zealand “ This research gives us a better idea of who is most

vulnerable, experiencing situational distress and in need of more support. There needs to be greater funding set aside for data-driven targeted workplace-based suicide prevention initiatives that are industry-led

“

findings show it’s more ver that we increase our health in the workplace. the predominantly on workforce, this isn’t kely to proactively seek t to offer it

- ACADEMIC DIRECTOR OF MATES, DR CHRIS BOWDEN

safetynews.co.nz 45

HEALTH

al Coronial Information System (NCIS) database between 01 July 2007 and 30 June 2019 we

yearbook

2022

Industry leader in soft fall protection on construction sites

Sponsored Article

Massey University rigorously tested all elements of the Safety Nets NZ system

SAFETY

W

ith the enactment of the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) it became apparent that there was a need to assure customers that they comply the requirements of the Act in safety measures for fall arrest.

“We needed to have our system independently analysed, engineered and ultimately certified. This meant that not only did the individual components of the safety net fall arrest sys-

tem have to be tested, the performance of the safety fall arrest system as a whole also needed to be studied,” says General Manager Craig Daly.

A team at the School of Engineering and Technology at Massey University tested a variety of drop heights and weights, different bracket centres, various net sizes and points where the load strikes the net.

“It even tested nets of different ages and repaired

Safety industry pioneer Safety Nets NZ has developed national standards in association with WorkSafe NZ, ensuring risk from falls is minimised for your construction workforce.

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46 safetynews.co.nz

nets, with the results being collated and analysed to effectively confirm that our safety fall arrest system works,” says Daly.

“This enables PCBU’s to discharge their responsibilities in regard to the requirements of the in the use of a system that is without risk to the health and safety of it’s workforce.”

When the nets have been installed and inspected by a Safety Nets NZ team and a handover certificate

completed by our certified rigger, the client can then commence works above the safe area of the net.

“All of our safety documentation has been produced in such a format as to ensure that it complements the overall site safety policy and manual that the Principal Contractor is required to establish on all projects,” says Daly.

Click here to read inspection guidelines

Zenith Different environments, one helmet.

Zenith series of Safety Helmets is AS/NZS 1801 Type I certified offering additional protection from front, rear and lateral impacts in compliance with EN 12492, together with protection from electrical shocks in compliance with EN 50365 standard.

A wide range of accessories enhances user’s safety and comfort in different environments, even when multiple set-up options are required.

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kask_safety

Yearbook 2022

How to run your business in a pandemic

MANAGEMENT

The Traffic Light programme minimises the impact and provides protection from COVID-19 through three settings Green, Orange and Red.

T

he requirements apply by activity. If your business carries out a number of different activities, you will need to consider how best to meet the requirements for each.

For example, a mall may have a food court (food and beverage rules apply), general retail (retail rules), and a supermarket (which people must be able to access without presenting a My Vaccine Pass).

If your business carries out a number of different activities that can't be separated, you will need to operate under the more stringent rules. If you can separate operations, you can operate in line with the specific rules within each separate area.

Businesses must display posters advertising if they require people entering to have a My Vaccine Pass

Checking My Vaccine Pass Businesses and services may switch between requiring My Vaccine Passes and not requiring My Vaccine Passes.

They will need to clean the premise/space between the two groups, and ensure they follow the appropriate rules relating to the use of My Vaccine Passes or not requiring My Vaccine Passes.

What it means for business Green Green is used when there are some COVID-19 cases in the community.

Face coverings are required on flights.

48 safetynews.co.nz

You must clearly communicate what settings you are operating under, and display the appropriate signage.

For example, a conference venue can host a conference for a small group of people under the unvaccinated rules (including number limits), clean, and they can then host a larger conference for vaccinated attendees.

The capacity limits apply to the premises or a defined space. Limits include all attendees, but not workers.

A defined space is an indoor area that has no direct airflow to another indoor area that is being used or an outdoor area that is separated from other outdoor areas by two metres.

Separate spaces must be managed so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, groups do not mix entering, leaving, or using the premises.

Some capacity limits

Ora Orange is used w creasing communit COVID

Face covering in some places in public transport, in facilities, and enco

are based on one metre distancing. This means the maximum number of people who could occupy the space if each person was one metre apart. People do not need to stand one metre apart.

There is one exception to how capacity limits are applied. If you are holding a gathering at a private dwell-

ange when there’s inty transmission of D-19.

gs are required ncluding on flights, n taxis, retail, public ouraged elsewhere.

ing or house you only need to adhere to the maximum number limit, regardless of the size of the house.

For some types of businesses there are lower capacity limits if they do not require a My Vaccine Pass, than if they do.

If you have a group of people that has both people with My Vaccine Pass (or

children under 12), and people without, you must adhere to the lower capacity limit.

Workers include anyone required to operate the business or service, and therefore includes paid and unpaid.

The Toolkit The COVID-19 Resource

Toolkit has resources and signage you can easily download and use depending on what level of the COVID-19 Protection Framework your business is in.

Source: Business.govt.nz info.business.govt@ub.comms.business.govt.nz

Red Red is used if there’s a need to protect both at-risk people and our health system from an unsustainable number of hospitalisations.

Face coverings are required in some places including on flights, public transport, in taxis, retail, public facilities, and encouraged elsewhere.

safetynews.co.nz 49

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

MANAGEMENT

N

ew Zealand is well-prepared for an Omicron outbreak, with high vaccination levels, boosters and childhood vaccination now available, and public health measures in force through the COVID-19 Protection Framework.

These measures will help slow the initial spread of Omicron. However, it is important to prepare for potential workforce shortages, due to staff being sick or needing to self-isolate, and supply chain issues.

There are steps you can take to protect your staff and customers against Omicron.

Think about how you would respond when there are cases of Omicron in the community. It will save time, stress, and resources in the long run.

A clear plan will help lessen the impact as you focus on operating in a safe way.

Understand the COVID-19 Protection Framework and how it affects your business.

Follow all the rules, including physical distancing, face coverings, displaying NZ Covid Tracer posters and encouraging people to scan or sign in and checking and verifying My Vaccine Passes, where required.

To ensure that sufficient workers are available to maintain critical infrastructure and supply chains throughout the Omicron outbreak, a critical workforce registration system will prioritise allocation of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) to businesses. It will provide for return-to-work

50 safetynews.co.nz

Get ready for a new future

Plans to support critical infrastructure and supply chains get into top gear – see this link for full details

testing for asymptomatic close contacts who would otherwise be required to self-isolate.

Government agencies will proactively engage with key businesses in their sectors to ensure that critical workforces have been identified and registered, and that there are sufficient supplies of RATs for those workers when needed.

Beyond this, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) will develop an online portal – similar to that used for the Business Travel Registration system – to allow individual business to apply for critical worker status.

The Critical Services Register will hold a database of the critical workforce by sector and location. This information will be used by the Ministry of Health

(MOH) to allocate RATs depending on supply and need, including the geographical spread of any outbreak.

Rapid Antigen Testing A critical worker is identified by their employer as a role within a critical industry as broadly defined by government that requires a person with particular skills who is required to undertake their role in person at the workplace and is in a role that must continue to be performed to either prevent an immediate risk of death or serious injury to a person or animal, or prevent serious harm (social, economic or physical) to significant numbers in the community This “test to return” approach means that critical workers who are close contacts will be able to return

to work early, provided they return a negative RAT every day that they are at work throughout their required isolation period, or as otherwise appropriate to their work setting.

They will only be able to go to work, not anywhere else – this protocol allows for return to work only. It does not mean that it ends isolation periods early.

The protocol includes: • Daily symptom checks, and a daily negative RAT result, prior to commencing work.

• Strict use of a medical mask, donned before entry to the workplace, changed as needed during the day and strictly complying with any infection prevention and control protocols at work.

Yearbook 2022

•

•

•

When mask is removed (eg for eating and drinking) physical distancing must be maintained - eat alone in a well-ventilated space where possible.

Travel alone to and from and around work or between jobs where possible.

Ensure good ventilation when in small spaces and masks must be worn by everyone present.

If symptoms develop at any stage, the worker will follow the public advice for close contacts with symptoms.

A COVID-19 case at your business At all three phases of the Omicron response, critical workers under the Critical Workforce Registration

System and health workers will be supported by public health guidance to enable close contacts to work.

Phases for response to Omicron At each phase of the Omicron response, there are different isolation and quarantine requirements for cases and contacts.

At Phase One • cases must isolate for 14 days (release by health official) • contacts need to quarantine for 10 days (test days five and eight, if symptomatic, then test immediately).

At Phase Two • cases need to isolate for 10 days (self-release after day 10 if asymptomatic for 72 hours) • contacts need to quarantine for seven days (test on day five).

At Phase Three • cases need to isolate for 10 days (self-release after day 10 if asymptomatic for 72 hours) • contacts need to quarantine for seven days (test if symptomatic) Managing the impact Mask wearing - At all phases of the Omicron response, critical work-

ers should wear certified well-fitting medical masks.

At Phases Two and Three, the MOH has further guidance on mask wearing for general health workers and higher risk health workers or border staff.

Use of masks and face coverings

safetynews.co.nz 51

MANAGEMENT

•

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

Support for mentally healthy work places

WorkSafe says mentally healthy work is work where risks to people’s mental health are eliminated or minimised, and their mental well-being is prioritised.

I

n contrast, mental health harm or mental ill-health is the significant cognitive, emotional, or behavioural impact arising from, or exacerbated by, work-related risk factors.

Mental health harm may be immediate or long-term and can come from single or repeated exposure. Research shows that work can lead to a range of mental health harms.

If sustained, these can lead to mental ill-health, illness and/or physical injury. For example, anxiety, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, and impaired immune systems are all associated with unhealthy work environments.

There are a range of risks at work that can affect a worker’s mental health.

They include unacceptable 52 safetynews.co.nz

work interactions such as bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, work-related stress, and fatigue.

Organisational factors at work, such as work culture or unreasonable deadlines, as well as individual factors, like poor management techniques, can lead to mental harms.

It is hard to identify and manage risks around mentally unhealthy work. It can be hard to find out whether the cause of harm was work-related or related to other parts of the person’s life. That’s why the role of the PCBU is to provide the best work environment, without digging into the person’s history.

Having a mentally healthy work environment can also reduce the likelihood of

injuries (as stress can cause distraction) and musculoskeletal disorders (which are correlated with stressful work environments).

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA) requires PCBUs to provide and maintain a work environment that is without risks to safety and health, including mental health, so far as is reasonably practicable.

What does WorkSafe expect?

People respond to stress in different ways, but PCBUs should try to prevent harm at its source.

The agency expects PCBUs to identify mental health risks and eliminate them from work so far as reasonably practicable.

If the risks cannot be

eliminated they should be minimised.Identifying risks, and ways to control them, should be done in consultation with workers.

Having clear policies that set out acceptable behaviour can also help. Work that has low job control, low support, poor environmental conditions, or exposure to trauma can increase the likelihood of harm occurring.

PCBUs should follow principles of good work design, such as: • make sure people understand their role • increase workers’ ability to make their own decisions about their work • offer a good balance between effort and reward – take a long-term view of productivity – focus on retaining staff and promoting work-life balance.

WorkSafe says it supports mentally healthy work by looking across the whole workforce, recording and collating data about work-related stressors and their outcomes and providing guidance for workers and for PCBUs. The agency is unlikely to intervene in one-off cases but may consider intervening where a PCBU has failed to manage significant work-related mental health risks.

Situations that might prompt intervention include multiple incidents arising at one PCBU and if a high level of harm resulted from the failure to manage risks.

It says in many cases, people suffering harm should speak to their employer first, using existing employment relations approaches, or should access support such as Employee Assistance Programmes.

Worksafe.govt.nz

Since the Covid pandemic, it has become more common for people to work from home.

A

t home, workers can be exposed to different health and safety risks, including risks to their mental health.

Mental health is a state of wellbeing in which a worker realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to contribute to their community.

When working from home, risks to worker mental health (psychosocial risks) can arise from a poor work environment, a lack of social connections or poor work design.

The question becomes what to look out for?

It may be easier to notice signs that a worker is struggling. For example, you may notice they are running late, or working very long hours.

These signs can become harder to observe if you are not in the same place as the worker.

Some stress to look out for with home-based workers • Work performance decreases and they start missing deadlines • They are not interested in attending career development activities.

• They start skipping meetings.

• They shift their work hours to times outside of their normal

• • •

•

• • •

•

schedule when no one is available.

They take sick days with no explanation.

Emails are often sent outside of work hours.

They mention they have skipped lunch or breaks, or are available on chat when they said they were taking a break.

Changes in their communication (for example, the tone in emails, short responses, only sending emails).

What can you do?

Because workers know their home and will be the ones carrying out the work, they will have insight into many of the psychosocial risks of working from home.

Talk with them to understand the environment they will be working in.

Talking more or talking less, avoiding calls.

Change in speed of responses.

They stop offering input or suggestions (for example, in group chats, team meetings or goal setting).

They change how much of their home life they share with colleagues (for example, they are usually happy to talk about their home life, but suddenly only wish to

Consider their knowledge, expertise, capability, and individual situation. Engage with your workers before changes to where they work occur. Consider the risks to everyone’s health and safety, and how to best manage them.

Once a worker is working from home, ongoing communication is essential for you to be able to manage working from home risks.

Effective communication should be open, clear and in place from the start.

• •

talk about work).

Facial expressions.

Not as engaged as usual. Regularly joining in online meetings late.

People’s mental health can change at any time, so you should proactively put control measures in place to manage psychosocial risks, rather than wait for issues to arise.

These could include active support for mental health through good work design, creations of healthy work environments which promote social connections, provide active support and encourage workers to raise issues Create a policy A working from home policy is an effective way to communicate your business’ procedures around working from home.

Policies should be created, refined, and agreed in consultation with workers, along with individual procedures for workers in different circumstances.

For example, your policy could include an acknowledgement that working from home can have adverse effects on mental health if risks are not properly managed.

It could define the roles and responsibilities of management and workers and detail resources or reimbursements available to support working from home.

The home policy should address how application and approval processes work and contain a commitment to review the policy within a set timeframe.

Employers should consider how a working from home policy fits with existing wellbeing programmes or other broader health and safety policies and initiatives, such as emergency management for example, pandemics, disasters and major incidents and support systems to handle family violence situations. safetynews.co.nz 53

MANAGEMENT

Mental health when working from home

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

Version 1.0 | Live from 3 December 2021

Version 1.0 | Live from 3 December

New Zealand COVID-19 New Zealand COVID-19 Construction Protocols

Construction Protocols

New Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection Framework specifies public health and social measures to be taken New Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection against COVID-19. We recognise that we must work specifies public health and social m together and implement workplace control measures against COVID-19. We recognise tha to minimise risk to workers.

together These protocols and attachments are to be read inand implement workplace to minimise conjunction with the COVID-19 – Standard for New risk to workers.

Zealand Construction Operations and reflect how the These protocols and attachments a requirements in the standard may be achieved.

As we move between levels these protocols conjunction are expected with the COVID-19 – Sta to develop and evolve as requirementsZealand change from Construction Operations an government and industry experience and are to be requirements treated as working documents which will indicate what in the standard may b between levels these protoco we need to do to operate and plan formove the kinds of restrictions we may be required to putto in place. develop and evolve as requireme

government and industry experienc OUR COMMITMENT AS AN INDUSTRY: • •

MANAGEMENT

Begin

• •

Begin

treated as working documents whic

We are committed to working alongside weofneed to do to operate and plan Government to manage the spread COVID-19. restrictions As an industry, we are united against COVID-19 we and may be required to p will do our utmost to protect our workers, the wider community and New Zealand. OUR COMMITMENT AS AN INDU We know that we’re in this together • – this Wemeans are committed to working trusting those we work with will keep us safe and Government to manage the sp that we’ll do the same for them.

Asofangood industry, we are united a We are committed to supporting a• culture mental health and positive wellbeing forwill ourdo our utmost to protect o construction community community and New Zealand.

•

We know that we’re in this tog trusting those we work with w that we’ll do the same for them For information on what COVID-19 • is,We are committed to supportin what the symptoms are, and how it spreads, mental health and positive we visit www.covid19.govt.nz construction community

For information on what COV

b

what the symptoms Click here for supporting resources are, and

RED

visit www.covid19.govt.nz

Site entry

b

Site operations

RED Site entry

Site operations under Site Red operations under Red

54 safetynews.co.nz

Site operations

Keep a record of who is on site, and when, every day as you may be required to track back for contact tracing.

A COVID-19 Response plan must be available and accessible on site for managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 at work.

The business’s official government QR code for the NZ COVID Tracer App must be Keep a record who is on site, and when, displayed at allofsite entrances. every day as you may be required to track Limit visitors to site wherever possible. back for contact tracing.

Additional hygiene and sanitary measures are to be implemented on site to prevent the spread of COVID-19 e.g. hand washing stations, A COVID-19 be available and provision of Response additional plan handmust sanitizer, provision of accessible disinfectant on site products. for managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 wiping at work.

Greater focus on cleaning processes as per the cleaning guide Additional hygiene and sanitary measures are to be implemented on in supporting resources. site to prevent the spread of COVID-19 e.g. hand washing stations, Clean shared vehicles before and afterprovision use. of disinfectant provision of additional hand sanitizer, wiping Increaseproducts. ventilation in enclosed spaces.

Introduce staggered finish andQRbreak The business’s officialstart, government times where possible avoid App extensive code for the NZ COVIDtoTracer must be intermingling reduce potential of displayed at alltosite entrances. exposure.

Limit visitors to site wherever possible.

Provide hygiene stations at entrances and Introduce start, finishtoand break require allstaggered workers and visitors wash or times where to avoid extensive sanitise their possible hands before entering and intermingling to reduce potential of leaving the site. exposure.

Delivery drivers should remain in their Provide hygiene stations at entrances and vehicles if the load will allow it and must require workers visitors to unloading wash or wash orall clean their and hands before sanitise their hands before entering and goods and materials. leaving the site.

Monitor site access points to enable Delivery distancing drivers should remain in their physical when entering site and vehicles if the allow it and must interfacing withload thewill public – you may need wash or clean their hands before unloading to change the number of access points, goods and materials. increase to reduce congestion or decrease to enablesite monitoring.

Monitor access points to enable physical distancing when entering site and Signage reminding workers of the COVID-19 interfacingand withhygiene the public – you will maybe need protocols practices to change the number of access points, posted at the site entrance and in common increase to reduce congestion or decrease areas where appropriate. to enable monitoring.

Signage reminding workers of the COVID-19 protocols and hygiene practices will be posted at the site entrance and in common areas where appropriate.

Greater focus on as cleaning processes thework cleaning guideto Keep team sizes small as possible as or per create ‘bubbles’ in supporting resources. impact of a positive COVID-19 case on your minimise the operational wider Clean team. shared vehicles before and after use.

Work siteventilation is to be segregated into zones (or by other methods) Increase in enclosed spaces. as much as possible to keep different teams/trades physically Keep teamatsizes as small as possible or create work ‘bubbles’ to separated all times. minimise the operational impact of a positive COVID-19 case on your Where possible, apply a one-way system in high-traffic areas, such wider team. as lifts, stairwells and scaffolds.

Work site is to be segregated into zones (or by other methods) Where all office employees a project work as muchpractical, as possible to keep differentsupporting teams/trades physically remotely. separated at all times.

One member of the crew nominated to receive suppliesareas, etc. Keep Where possible, apply a one-way system in high-traffic such the engagement the other person as brief as possible and as lifts, stairwells with and scaffolds. maintain a one metre physical distance.

Where practical, all office employees supporting a project work Ask for paperwork to be emailed rather than handed over as much remotely. as possible: If unavoidable, then either wear gloves when handling Oneitem member of the crewbefore nominated to receive supplies etc. Keep the or wash hands and after handling said items. the engagement with the other person as brief as possible and All waste aand PPE must be must be removed from site maintain onedisposable metre physical distance. and appropriately disposed of.

Ask for paperwork to be emailed rather than handed over as much as possible: If unavoidable, then either wear gloves when handling the item or wash hands before and after handling said items.

All waste and disposable PPE must be must be removed from site and appropriately disposed of.

Face coverings Click here for supporting resources All workers interacting face-to-face with the public must wear a face covering while at work. Use risk assessment for determining the appropriate face covering.

Face • Ifcoverings you are entering a private home, you should also request the people in the home Alltoworkers with the wear a interacting mask whileface-to-face you are there. public must wear a face covering while at work. Use risk assessment for determining the faceand covering.

Siteappropriate Meetings Inductions • If you are entering a private home, you Meetings are to be held through should also request the people in the home teleconferencing or videoconferencing to wear a mask while you are there. where possible.

For face-to-face indoor meetings, only Siteabsolutely Meetings and Inductions necessary participants should attend and records kept.

Meetings are to be held through • teleconferencing Rooms should be well ventilated/windows or videoconferencing open.possible. where • For Hold meetingsindoor in openmeetings, areas where face-to-face only absolutely possible.necessary participants should attend and records kept.

• Keep teams or work ‘bubbles’ separated • Rooms should be well ventilated/windows using physical distancing. open.

•

Hold meetings in open areas where possible.

•

Keep teams or work ‘bubbles’ separated

using physical distancing.

Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the site/activity does not require vaccination to be mandated additional controls for non-vaccinated sites should be implemented.

Where a risk assessment haswhich beendo not Additional controls for sites carried and the site/activity does require out vaccination. not require vaccination to be mandated additional controls for non-vaccinated sites should be implemented.

Additional controls for sites which do not require vaccination.

Orange Zone

r

Yearbook 2022 Click here for supporting resources

Click here for supporting resources

Site entry Site entry

Site operations Site operations

bb ORANGE ORANGE A COVID-19 Response plan must be A COVID-19 Response plan must be available and accessible on site for available and accessible on site for managing a suspected or confirmed case managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 at work. of COVID-19 at work.

Additional hygiene and sanitary measures Additional hygiene and sanitary measures are to be implemented on site to prevent are to be implemented on site to prevent the spread of COVID-19 e.g. hand washing the spread of COVID-19 e.g. hand washing stations, provision of additional hand stations, provision of additional hand sanitizer, provision of disinfectant wiping sanitizer, provision of disinfectant wiping products. products.

Clean shared vehicles before and after use.

Clean shared vehicles before and after use.

Keep team sizes as small as possible or Keep team sizes as small as possible or create work ‘bubbles’ to minimise the create work ‘bubbles’ to minimise the operational impact of a positive covid-19 operational impact of a positive covid-19 case on your wider team. case on your wider team.

Where practical, all office employees Where practical, all office employees supporting a project work remotely. supporting a project work remotely.

All waste and disposable PPE must be All waste and disposable PPE must be must removed from site and appropriately be removed from site and appropriately disposed of. disposed of.

All workers interacting face-to-face with the public must Allaworkers interacting public must wear face covering whileface-to-face at work. Usewith riskthe assessment for wear a face whileface at work.

Use risk assessment for determining thecovering appropriate covering. determining the appropriate face covering.

• If you are entering a private home, you should also request •theIfpeople you areinentering private should alsothere. request the homea to wear home, a maskyou while you are the people in the home to wear a mask while you are there.

Site Meetings and Inductions Site Meetings and Inductions

Meetings are to be held through teleconferencing or video Meetings are to be held through teleconferencing or video conferencing where possible. conferencing where possible.

For face-to-face indoor meetings, only absolutely necessary For face-to-face indoor meetings, participants should and records kept. only absolutely necessary participants should and records kept.

• Hold meetings in open areas where possible.

• Hold meetings in open areas where possible.

• Rooms should be well ventilated/windows opened to allow •fresh Rooms should be well ventilated/windows opened to allow air circulation. fresh air circulation.

• Keep teams or work ‘bubbles’ separated •using Keep teamsdistancing or work ‘bubbles’ separated physical using physical distancing

Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the site/activity does not require vaccination to be mandated site/activity does not require vaccination to be mandated additional controls for non-vaccinated sites should be additional controls for non-vaccinated sites should be considered. considered.

Additional controls for sites which do not require vaccination.

MANAGEMENT

Site Site operations operations under under Orange Orange

Keep a record of who is on site, and when, Keep a record of who is on site, and when, every day as you may be required to track every day as you may be required to track back for contact tracing. back for contact tracing.

The business’s official government QR The business’s official government QR code for the NZ COVID Tracer App must be code for the NZ COVID Tracer App must be displayed at all site entrances. displayed at all site entrances.

Limit visitors to site where ever possible.

Limit visitors to site where ever possible.

Provide hygiene stations at entrances and Provide hygiene stations at entrances and require all workers and visitors to wash or require all workers and visitors to wash or sanitise their hands before entering and sanitise their hands before entering and leaving the site. leaving the site.

Signage reminding workers of the COVID-19 Signage reminding workers of the COVID-19 protocols and hygiene practices will be protocols and hygiene practices will be posted at the site entrance and in common posted at the site entrance and in common areas where appropriate. areas where appropriate.

Face coverings Face coverings

rr

Green Zone Green Zone

Click here for supporting resources

b b

GREEN GREEN

Site operations under Site Green operations under Green

Site entry

Site operations

Site entry

Site operations

Keep a record of who is on site, and when, every day as you may be required to track back for contact tracing.

A COVID-19 Response plan must be available and accessible on site for managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 at work.

The business’s official government QR code the NZofCOVID App must be Keep for a record who isTracer on site, and when, displayed entrances. every day at as all yousite may be required to track back forhygiene contact tracing.

Provide stations at entrances for workers and visitors wash or sanitise The business’s officialtogovernment QR their hands before entering leaving the site. code for the NZ COVID and Tracer App must be displayed at all site workers entrances.

Signage reminding of the COVID-19 protocols and hygiene practices will befor Provide hygiene stations at entrances posted thevisitors site entrance in common workersatand to washand or sanitise their areas handswhere beforeappropriate. entering and leaving the site.

Signage reminding workers of the COVID-19 protocols and hygiene practices will be posted at the site entrance and in common areas where appropriate.

Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the Click here for supporting resources site/activity does not require vaccination to be mandated additional controls for non-vaccinated sites may be implemented.

Where a risk assessment haswhich beendo carried out andvaccination. the Additional controls for sites not require site/activity does not require vaccination to be mandated additional controls for non-vaccinated sites may be implemented.

Additional controls for sites which do not require vaccination.

Additional andplan sanitary A COVID-19hygiene Response mustmeasures be are to be and implemented prevent available accessibleononsite sitetofor the spread of COVID-19 e.g. hand washing managing a suspected or confirmed case stations, provision of additional hand of COVID-19 at work. sanitizer, provision of disinfectant wiping Additional products. hygiene and sanitary measures are to be implemented on site to prevent All disposablee.g.

PPEhand mustwashing be must thewaste spreadand of COVID-19 be removed from site and appropriately stations, provision of additional hand disposed of. sanitizer, provision of disinfectant wiping products.

All waste and disposable PPE must be must be removed from site and appropriately disposed of.

safetynews.co.nz 55

Yearbook 2022

All sites must undertake a risk assessment of their activities which includes the risk of COVID-19.

EXAMPLE COVID-19 RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL.

Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the site does not require vaccination to be mandated, additional controls (above the controls listed within the red, orange and green levels) should be implemented.

This is a risk assessment which has been developed for the construction industry as guidance, it may be added to or adjusted on a case by case basis considering the nature of the business or work.

MANAGEMENT

What Zone are you in?

RED

ORANGE

GREEN

ADDITIONAL CONTROLS

Additional controls SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL CONTROLS WHERE FULL VACCINATION IS NOT MANDATORY Where a risk assessment has been carried out and the site/activity does not require full vaccination to be mandated additional controls should be implemented.

DEPENDING ON LEVEL, THESE CONTROLS COULD INCLUDE:

Increased surveillance of symptoms

Physical Distancing

Compulsory testing

Maintain work bubbles

Evidence of having had a COVID-19 test administered and returned a negative test no more than 72 hours before entry to site

Requirement of face covering on site

Supporting resources

56 safetynews.co.nz

r

Yearbook 2022

Supporting Resources FAQS SUPPORTING RESOURCES TO HELP IMPLEMENT THESE PROTOCOLS ON SITE:

Posters and Signage

Risk Assessment guide for vaccination

Sign-in register

Vaccination Information

COVID-19 Response plan

COVID-19 Contact Type Definitions and Processes

Cleaning and Hygiene Guide

Government travel guide and boundary restrictions

MATES in Construction Manager Guides

Personal health flowchart

Returning home after work guide

Safe practices when using face masks on site

Safe practices when using gloves on site

Mates in Construction Mental Health Guides

HELP SERVICES Healthline call 0800 358 5453 health.govt.nz

Unite Against COVID-19 covid19.govt.nz

National Telehealth Service 1737.org.nz

Mental Health Foundation mentalhealth.org.nz

MATES in Construction 0800 111 315 mates.net.nz

Site Signage SAFE PRACTICES WHEN USING FACE MASKS ON SITE

WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER

STOP THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

THIS IS A VACCINATED SITE

STOP! SAFE PRACTICES WHEN USING GLOVES ON SITE

VACCINATION POSTER LET’S KEEP BUILDING TOGETHER.

PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR WORKMATES AGAINST COVID-19

MATES IN CONSTRUCTION MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

LET’S KEEP BUILDING TOGETHER.

safetynews.co.nz 57

MANAGEMENT

Managers Checklist

GUIDES FOR WORKERS:

Yearbook 2022

Omicron in the community: what this means

Phases fo Phase One There are some cases in the community but we continue to stamp it out Things you can do to protect yourself at ALL phases:

Get your COVID Booster shot 5-11 year olds first vaccination

MANAGEMENT

•

Testing

• •

PCR test for people that have symptoms and close contacts at GP or Community Testing Centre PCR testing for international arrivals Find testing sites closest to you here: Healthpoint.co.nz

Cases contacted as usual.

Cases: • Identified via positive PCR test • Notified by phone call and phone based case investigation

Case investigation and contact tracing

Isolation & Quarantine

Contacts: • Active management of close contacts • Close contacts notified by phone call • Push notifications (QR scanning), Bluetooth and locations of interest used to identify contacts.

58 safetynews.co.nz

Continue to Mask • • •

Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) may people and close contacts ‘Test to return’ if needed for as close contacts using RATs. PCR testing to confirm diagnos

Digital technology is utilised mo information via email. Support f

Cases: • Identified via positive PCR test • Notified by text and directed to • Self-investigation tool increasin • Phone based interviews where • Symptomatic household conta purposes.

Contacts: • Regular communication with h • Close contacts notified via text contacts self-manage) • Push notifications (QR scanning contacts • ‘Test to return’ for critical infras

Cases: • Isolate for 14 days

Cases: • Isolate for 10 days

Contacts: • Isolate for 10 days • Extra support in place for health and critical workforces.

Contacts: • Isolate for 7 days • Extra support in place for healt

• • •

Health and social support - Care in the Community

Cases have spread in the slow further spread an

•

Begin shift to self-service - text/online Some positive cases using self-service tools. such as online contact forms Clinical care will be delivered by primary care teams, supported by the local care coordination hub.

All steps taken to support positive cases to isolate in their usual place of residence, with alternative accommodation options across the regions.

• • • •

Cases using self-service wher being met Support by local care coordina Other people with lower clinica Support for most positive case accommodation options across

Yearbook 2022

s for you

January 2022

or response to Omicron Phase Three There are thousands of cases per day: most people will selfmanage and health and social services focus on families and communities that have the highest needs

Phase Two e community so we need to minimise and nd assist our vulnerable communities

y be used in addition to PCR testing for symptomatic

Good hygiene, physical distancing and stay home if unwell Due to so many cases per day, focus of PCR testing is on priority populations Symptomatic people or priority populations may use a RAT for diagnosis RATs available at GPs, Pharmacies, Community Testing Centres or workplaces for symptomatic or critical workers ‘Test to return’ for asymptomatic healthcare and critical workforce who are close contacts using RATs.

symptomatic healthcare and critical workforce who are

• • •

sis if positive RAT.

•

ore as cases grow – text via mobile phone and for those not digitally enabled.

Digital technology continues – a self-serve model – with cases supported to selfnotify close contacts. Focus on support for those not digitally enabled.

Cases: • Identified via positive PCR, RATs or symptoms • Notified by text and directed to online self-investigation tool • Self-investigation tool targets very high-risk exposures, narrowing the numbers of contacts identified • Symptomatic household contacts a probable case, test not required.

o online self-investigation ngly targeting high-risk exposures (events or locations) required acts will become a probable case for management

household contacts t, directed to website, test on day 5 (non-household

g), Bluetooth and Locations of Interest used to identify

Contacts: • Contacts automatically notified from online self-investigation and option for cases to self-notify their contacts.

• Only highest risk contacts will be traced and required to isolate • Limited use of push notifications, locations of interest or Bluetooth • ‘Test to return’ for contacts who are health and critical infrastructure workers.

structure workers if needed.

th and critical workforces.

re possible, ensure those with greatest need are

ation hub for those with a need for ongoing clinical care. al risks, may contact external providers. es to isolate in their usual place of residence. Alternative s the regions are still available.

Cases: • Isolate for 10 days Contacts: • Isolate for 7 days • Extra support in place for health and critical workforces.

• • • •

Majority of positive cases are self-management.

Clinical care is focused on anyone with high-needs Wraparound health and welfare support services will focus on those who need it most Support for positive cases to isolate in their usual place of residence and unlikely there will be alternative accommodation capacity available for cases that are unable to safely isolate at home.

safetynews.co.nz 59

MANAGEMENT

k, Scan and Pass wherever you go

Yearbook 2022

ST

Worker i contact of

Worker presents with symptoms

COVID-19 Response Plan Flow Chart

Stand

Worker has PCR test for other reason

MANAGEMENT

P

Have th 48 hours b

WORKER: Guidance WORKER: Stand-down & Isolates See COVID-19 contact type definitions here.

Close Unvaccinated

Assess Close and Casual Contacts for last 48 hours

Casual Fully Vaccinated

Isolate and get a PCR test immediately Get additional PCR tests on day 5 and day 8 after last exposure or onset of symptoms

Close Fully Vaccinated

Isolate until negat ive result of day 8 test or for 10 days, whichever is longer

Casual Unvaccinated

Return to wo symptoms fo

If symptoms get a PCR tes until a negati

Isolate and get a PCR test immediately

Isolate and get a PCR test immediately

Get additional PCR tests on day 5 after last exposure or onset of symptoms

Get a second PCR test on day 5

Isolate until negative result of day 5 test or for 7 days, whichever is longer

Isolate until negative result of day 5 test or 7 days after last exposure, whichever is longer If symptoms develop after day 5, isolate until you get a negative test result

Zealand’s COVID-19 Protection Framework - Construction Protocols | Version 1.1 60 New safetynews .co.nz

Yearbook 2022

TART HERE

is a [close / casual] f a confirmed COVID case

Worker receives positive RAT test

d-down & Isolate PCR Test

PCR result

Negative

Business as usual (BAU)

hey been on site before time of test?

MANAGEMENT

Positive WORKER: Stand-down & Isolates

NO SITE: resumes BAU

Y

ork but monitor for or 10 days

develop, stay home and st immediately - isolate ive result is received

SITE: Guidance

Can you identify the Close and Casual Contacts?

N

Y

Follow WORKER guidance Notify site and ask them to monitor for symptoms Clean shared facilities

Treat all workers as Close Contacts Follow WORKER guidance Notify site and ask them to monitor for symptoms Clean shared facilities Instigate surveillance testing if available

Reporting rule: Report one Event for each positive case, but list out the number of close contacts

safetynews.co.nz 61

Yearbook 2022

The great unlearning Safety News and AsiaPacific Infrastucture publisher Mike Bishara accepts an invitation from Optimum Training to join a four-hour safety training session

TRAINING

I

harboured a fervent hope that 25 years of development and refinement of Wayne Milicich’s injury prevention model might contain a few surprises.

The prospect of four hours in what I suspected could be a moralising lecture about how to lift a box was not enthralling. I could see, as we shuffled into the training centre, that the rest of the class felt the same, with a range of resigned, bored and cynical faces.

We were wrong. Boy, were we wrong. Participants soon learned “it was all about them” and their individual quality of life. And how 30 seconds after the training would break the harmful muscle memory that had taken over the way we did things.

“The programme is about unlearning what we learned between the ages of about eight to 13 years old and restoring all the movement patterns that we learned naturally during the first five to eight years of our life,” says Milicich.

For example, children all demonstrate best balance, unlike most adults. About 80 percent of the adult population “half breathe” from the apical area of the lungs as opposed to the diaphragm and lower lobes of the lungs, according to Milicich. “Children all naturally breathe from their belly, diaphragm, unless they are stressed.”

The most hardened cynics in our group quickly became engaged in the programme through a series of 62 safetynews.co.nz

Click here for more information

Optimum Training manager Dwane Stewart with an eager team of learners practical truths, illustrated by a range of interactions, sometimes with a workmate.

We emerged half a working day later wondering who to sue for the preventable harm I have inflicted by following instructions. Life quality did not require lifetime dedication, just a reordering of basic instincts and tossing out a few myths.

For our group, the quality of life had become anchored forever around balance and the 70/30 weight split between heels and toes.

We were converts to breathing out like weightlifters, sticking out our butts and letting tummies and abdominals do their thing - we discarded posture misinformation and stress and replaced it with comfort, a safe and secure back and no pain.

Optimum’s programme is of suggested solutions, not imperatives. “When we do this training, it is to benefit the individual. The company

clips the ticket and gets a benefit only when the individual benefits.”

“You cannot stand on a platform and tell people they are wrong. When a person’s belief is challenged, they will do anything to defend that truth as it is what they believe and know and have lived by. The only way to expose the false belief is to lead someone to find the truth for themselves.

In most cases following instilled poor habits is akin to

tapping yourself lightly on the head with a hammer for years. Do it enough times and you will end up permanently damaged.

You cannot separate work safety and whanau safety – they are two sides of the same coin, according to Milicich. Health and safety at home and work are just a component of our life quality. Not something that is separated out with its own rules to be applied at specific times and locations.

To a person, we emerged

70/30 balance is at the core of a quality of life

ready to retrain our misguided muscle memory with the 30-secondsa-day-worth of drills to reprogramme our muscle memory that had taken us just four hours to master.

“The training empowers people to work out the truth for themselves and trust themselves. You are the only person who can determine what works best for you. Trust yourself to make a good call,” says Milicich.

With no pen, paper or tables in the room, this programme is “pure adult facilitation of kinesthetic learning followed by cognitive understanding. It is simple to restore what was once in the muscle memory when we were five to eight years old. The original neural pathways just open up again,” he says. We learned and now retain what we learned.

“Stress is recognized as a major cause of MSD and auto-immune disease. We help people understand how their body manifests stress and equip them with the understanding and tools to manage themselves during stressful times,” says Milicich.

Optimum’s facilitation process has four specific steps.

When applied correctly to the session, most often the learner has no idea of what

has happened, but they do recognise that their life has changed for the better.

Our session began with participation exercises which showed the overriding importance of balance.

The 70/30 rationale was enough to consign to the bin, along with a flurry of other medical myths, the long-held and totally wrong “bend your knees and keep your back straight” doctrine.

It soon became apparent why Optimum’s quality of life programme is used by many of the country’s most astute corporations in an age where time “off the floor” is critical to the bottom line and many companies look only to tick the boxes of compliance.

The benefits are equally cost effective, available and absorbed by SMEs. My class had only nine other participants so having a cast of thousands is not essential – or even recommended.

“Move Smart Think Smart is about addressing the underlying causes of muscle and joint pain that occur as we interact with inert objects both at work and at home. Home injuries affect the workplace. Workplace injuries affect the home and family,” says Milicich.

“Either way the quality

of life of a person is compromised. The traditional medical model calls the problem ‘nonspecific back pain and occupational overuse’. In fact, the pain is about inadvertent personal misuse of the body -- it is very specific.”

The bio-medical model reckons back pain is normal. “No, it is not normal,” says Milicich. “It is common, and the medical model is unwittingly part of the problem.

“Good posture” is nothing more than an old wives’ tale based on the military model of control and it is still believed today. A teacher tells children to sit up straight as a means of controlling the class. It is now portrayed as good posture.

“The medical field is littered with information and advice that was eventually proven wrong and retracted. Some of our western cultural beliefs are based in nothing more than decades or centuries old beliefs and mores.

The sad thing is that more than 80 percent of MSD's are inadvertently and unwittingly self-inflicted. People hurt themselves as they interact with inert objects, and they don't even realise it, says Milicich.

“The only way a box can hurt someone is if it is flying

through the air and strikes them. Or if it is moving on a conveyor and they put their hand where they should not.

A spade and the ground are both inert. To suffer pain while digging a hole is the person hurting themselves as they interact with the spade and ground.

The pain is a direct result of poor skills and technique of movement -- self-inflicted pain.

Most people blame something or someone for this self-inflicted injury. At that point, only the symptom can be addressed with drugs and therapy.

The problem returns as they repeat their old thinking and poor technique once the symptom has eased.

“No one deliberately hurts themselves. Given the opportunity, everyone makes the right choice,” says Milicich.

To a person, everyone was engaged for the full duration of training, always relevant, interesting, practical and beneficial to each person. We felt equipped and empowered to take back responsibility for ourselves. I personally still muse over and apply the learnings. My years of knee pain has gone.

30-second daily drills to re-programme muscle memory

Wayne Milicich 07 8583040 027 291 1829 www.otl.nz Representatives NZ wide safetynews.co.nz 63

TRAINING

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

Bastion NZ launch Industrial glove range

Sponsored Article

The right hand protection is critical to keep worker’s hands safe from hazardous conditions that can cause injuries in the workplace. That’s why Bastion NZ have introduced their range of Industrial Gloves into New Zealand

PPE

B

astion Industrial Gloves have been a popular choice for Australian industrial professionals since they were launched down under over three years ago.

The full range is designed to protect worker’s hands in a wide array of industries and applications including: - Chemical Resistant Gloves - General Handling Gloves - Cut Resistant Gloves - Cow Grain Leather Gloves - Thermal Safety Gloves Why do Bastion gloves offer superior protection?

Simply because the entire industrial glove range is designed with quality materials that comply with the EN388 work safety testing standards. So that means that they’re suitably fit for the task at hand and offer

superior protection from hazardous chemicals, cuts, abrasions, burns and much more.

Not only do safety gloves offer protection against hazards, they must also allow the wearer to function competently while they’re working. Each glove is robustly designed to withstand a high amount of wear and tear and for a more comfortable fit (including high breathability).

The more comfortable and wearable the gloves are, the more willing employees are to wear them, significantly reducing the risk of injuries in the workplace.

The range provides some great efficiencies and cost savings for businesses – as they are competitively priced and reusable and on top of that, most of the gloves in the range are also washable.

We promise ‘first class service’ Bastion has a strong supply chain, with strategically located suppliers, so customers can be confident

that there will be strong stocks on hand when they need it.

With a team of product specialists who have a wealth of industry and product knowledge, Bastion strive to provide first class service through product guidance, technical advice and solutions to help customers grow their business.

Bastion gloves are imported by Unipak – New Zealand’s leading supplier, importer and wholesaler of personal barrier protection and food packaging products. Unipak distribute their products through a nationwide network of industry-specific resellers. www.bastionpacific.co.nz

64 safetynews.co.nz

October 2021 - January 2022

INDUSTRIAL GLOVES

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Superior hand protection, trusted by industrial professionals.

For product information, contact 0800 864 725 or visit bastionpacific.co.nz safetynews.co.nz 65

April - May 2021

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EQUIPMENT

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Downgrading the flawed work practices and workCare NZ .ecalpkrow ruoy niextols sResponsible dooless g sregulation uo regninad but effective HSNO Cerplaces, by responding to While 130,000 businesses tified Handler requireworkers’ suggestions about favour of enabling business are reportedly captured by ment has inadvertently improvements. operators to be increasthe Hazardous Substances undermined an invaluable ingly self-sufficient, using TAILORED TO THE and Major Hazard capability.

Conscientious business cost-effective products and CHEMICALS YOU Facili-USER FRIENDLY ACTUALLY HANDLE EHT OT DEROLIAT COMPLIANCE TOOLS ties regulations, the official operators can add valservices such UOas Y SLsite ACIMEcomHC YLDNEIRF RESU E LDNAH YLLAUand TCA S L O O T E C N A I L P M O C mantra of “600-900 persons The action deprived busiue by sourcing accurate, pliance assessments seriously harmed each year nesses, particularly SMEs, cost-effective workplace specialist training. by unwanted exposure to of an immediate and recchemical safety advice and INDUSTRY chemicals in their work-MEETS NATIONAL ognisable source of workcompliance tools from their The focus is keeping CERTIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL LANOITA N STEEM safe around YRTSUDthe NI RECOGNITION place” presumably appliesSTANDARDS place chemical safety and suppliers, industry partners people LATNEMNORIVNE DEIFITREC DNATS OITINGOCER to all of the country’s compliance advice -- a safe and Responsible Care NZ. SDRAchemicals weNencounter 530,000 workplaces. chemical handling capabilievery day by adding value ty and emergency response A proven strategy is to businesses.

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However, they all obtain We all need to sustain and their chemical requirements improve quality of life Chemical industry leadfrom suppliers and can BE our COMPETENT, STAY COMPLIANT Tbenefit NAIfrom LPM OC Y ATS ,TNETEPMOC EB and these products must be ers are moving away from product stewBarry Dyer safely managed throughout relying on lagging indicaardship advice and cost-efChief Executive their life cycle. tors of safety performance fective industry compliance Responsible Care NZ in favour of identifying safer initiatives.

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Yearbook 2022 OUR WORLD IS CHANGING THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG

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ENVIRONMENT

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It was a once in a century disaster and Auckland-based arboriculture company Treescape bore the brunt of what New Zealanders call a ‘weather bomb’

“The bomb hit at 2.30am. and when I arrived at our holding yard at dawn, I found it completely underwater,” Treescape’s national fleet manager Dion Wright said.

Thirteen Hilux utilities, five trucks, two staff vehicles and more than $30,000 worth of chain saws and tree felling equipment were lost.

“But, after carefully assessing the situation I waded through 1.5metre deep water and climbed up on our Komatsu WA100 wheel loader and it started first time,” Dion said.

The wheel loader became the central recovery vehicle in an emergency shut down operation, safely ferrying electricians, plumbers, and mechanical staff in its bucket, above the floodwaters so they could safely secure the site.

Treescape’s resources were in great demand.

Whilst in the middle of Auckland’s Level 4 Covid-19

lockdown, Treescape was deemed as an essential service, which helped clear storm debris with the affected area in an operation which took several weeks.

Komatsu immediately went to work to properly restore Treescape’s wheel loader so that it could play its role in the restoration.

Like the other machinery in the yard, it had taken a big hit of high sediment contamination from the floodwaters.

Komatsu’s Auckland workshop manager Hamish Moore supported by his managing director Philip Pritchard, both also locked down, successfully sought permission from New Zealand’s Ministry of Business and Administration to bring in staff to fully clean and inspect the loader.

Water had surrounded the front and rear differentials, the hydraulics, the engine and transmission.

Urgent fluid samples were

sent to Komatsu’s KOWA (Komatsu Oil Wear Analysis) laboratory in Brisbane, filters and lubricants were replaced and electrical connections replaced.

The WA100 was back on the storm relief job within two days.

“It stood up really well, although we’re keeping a watching brief on it even now, months after the event, to be certain,” Hamish said.

Treescape is one of the region’s largest green asset management companies, employing more than 600 people across New Zealand and Australia.

It has more than 45 Komatsu wheel loaders and excavators at the core of an innovative program to equip the machines with a multitude of attachments to economically multi-task on each job.

“We’re grateful to Komatsu for their swift intervention,” Dion Wright said. Its one less work around the company has to perform in what looks like becoming a protracted recovery.

With mid-2022 now a target for the arrival of some of the new equipment.

About Komatsu Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together. Front-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests and create consumer products.

The company's global service and distributor networks support customer operations to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance.

infrastructurenews.co.nz 71

ENVIRONMENT

Treescape weathers the storm

Sponsored Article

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

Multi-purpose, safer, faster telehandlers increase productivity

Sponsored Article

The introduction of game changing 360-degree rotating telehandlers looks set to disrupt the infrastructure, civil and construction industries

MACHINERY

T

The world’s highest rotating telehandler – RTH6.51 (six-ton lift) with an impressive 51-metre reach 72 infrastructurenews.co.nz

he days of needing on site a mobile crane, a boom lift or other types of elevated work platforms, a forklift and an excavator are numbered - one machine can do it all.

Rotating telehandlers may look a lot like their conventional cousins, but they are very different.

Their arrival on New Zealand work sites has completely changed the way project management is planned and the way onsite work is completed in a safer and faster manner.

They load material, pick it up, drive to where it’s needed and then unload.

The rotating telehandler can then pick the load, rotate and place the materials where needed.

The concept originated in Europe, where the majority of urban construction sites are very compact and do not allow room for traditional telehandlers.

“Rotating telehandlers have taken North America by storm and over the past 18 months have been attracting a lot of attention in New Zealand,” says APS general manager Darren Boon, agents for Magni, one of the most technologically advanced brands of rotating telehandlers in the world.

“As technology has improved so has the reach and lifting capacity of these type of machines. On a

Sponsored Article

Magni recognised early that the biggest trend in the industry is to lift safer, higher and heavier multi-level construction site, a machine with a five-tonne lift and 26-metre reach would usually have been the standard,” says Boon.

“Now machines are available for bigger projects with heavy lift capability up to 13 tonnes and machines with a reach of 51 metres.”

APS have supplied a number of machines across

New Zealand including a rotating machine to Ports of Auckland and New Zealand’s largest telehandler, a massive Magni HTH24.11 (24-tonne lift) machine to Ghella Abergeldie Joint Venture which is working on the Watercare Main Central Interceptor tunnel project in Auckland.

‘This kind of versality and safety is exactly what I have

APS Equipment and Magni a winning combination Italian designed and manufactured Magni telehandlers have won three LLEAP (Lifting Equipment and Aerial Platforms) awards in a row.

Magni produces some of the world’s biggest telehandlers – HTH50.14 (50-ton lift) and highest rotating telehandler – RTH6.51 (six-ton lift) with an impressive 51-metre reach.

As well as being the New Zealand distributor for Magni telehandlers, APS Equipment has a fleet of 20 hire telehandlers from 2.5-ton lift to 12-ton lift and eight to 20 metre reach. These machines are available for short- or long-term hire throughout the country.

been looking for’ is a rejoinder that Boon is getting on a regular basis.

“Magni recognised early that the biggest trend in the industry is the desire by end users to lift safer, higher and heavier and, as a result, Magni has become the industry leader in all of these categories,” he says.

Magni rotating telehandlers are one of the safest machines to operate on the worksite. Self-levelling stabiliser legs combined with attachment recognition and on-board diagnostics show the position of the load in real time.

“The machines are backed by factory trained mechanics, remote diagnostic

technology and a nationwide service network,” says Boon.

“Rotating telehandlers act like cranes in that they have a cab that continuously spins 360°, enabling the unique pick-and-place capability that is the hallmark of this class of equipment.

“Without a need to drive the materials, a rotating telehandler reduces load transport times and increases productivity,” he says.

Rotating telehandlers are also a solution for compact jobsites, where their greater lift heights and reach can place many of the jobsite materials without the need to reposition the machine.

Article sponsored by APS Equipment www.apsequipment.co.nz Darren Boon +64 9 437 9036 darren@apsequipment.co.nz

infrastructurenews.co.nz 73

MACHINERY

Yearbook 2022

YEARBOOK 2022 can increase supply security.

TRANSPORT

What are Biofuels?

Biofuel mandate – lower emissions or just higher fuel prices?

New Zealand’s transport sector accounts for 47% of the country’s total domestic carbon emissions, but the Government hopes to turn things around with its Sustainable Biofuels Mandate, says Kalkine Chief Executive Kunal Sawhney

T

he government’s announcement for authorising the use of biofuels for cars, ships, trains, and trucks is a welcome step that can play a significant role in reducing emissions from the transport sector.

Fuel wholesalers would 74 infrastructurenews.co.nz

now need to cut total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for road transport fuels sold by a set percentage every year by using biofuels as a part of the fuel supply.

The Government is to introduce its Sustainable Biofuels Mandate from

1 April 2023. A jet fuel mandate is also in process of being developed, given the challenges that the aviation sector is facing in lowering GHG. Biofuels could be a long-term solution, and by transitioning to local production, New Zealand

Biofuels are renewable liquid fuels obtained from biomass materials like plant or algae material or animal waste. They are often considered to be a substitute for fossil fuels.

There are 2 types of biofuels- Conventional biofuels and Advanced biofuels.

Conventional biofuels are made from agricultural crops and have limited emissions reduction potential. However, advanced biofuels are made from more sustainable feedstock like agricultural and forestry residues, nonfood crops like grasses and algae, and industrial waste and residue streams. They have a larger emissions reduction ability.

New Zealand has low usage of biofuels by global standards and has established little production capability.

When fossil fuels are burned in internal combustion engines, all of the carbon that has been stored underneath is released into the atmosphere as carbondioxide. However, when biofuels replace part or all fossil fuels, the net amount of carbon released decreases.

Sustainable biofuels emit far fewer greenhouse gases than fossil fuels over their entire life cycle. In New Zealand, there is a great chance to either import or grow biofuel production and consumption.

The economic cost of biofuels

Biofuel production involves high production costs involving a complex

TRANSPORT

YEARBOOK 2022

value chain, feedstock supply risk and high capital costs.

Bioethanol and biodiesel are roughly 1.5-1.8 times as expensive as their fossil fuel equivalents, while jet fuel is four times the price.

Reports suggest that using more biofuels can raise petrol and diesel prices and blow roughly NZ$1 billion from NZ’s economic growth in 4 years.

Biofuels would have to be imported until at least 2035 as the cost of producing them locally is forecasted to be NZ$1 billion by 2031.

Subsequently, biofuels usage requires tax credits and subsidies from the Government.

National’s Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says it will be another cost to motorists for no real benefit.

“Overall, it is estimated the

economic cost of the policy will be over $1.2 billion. Yet as New Zealand already has a cap on our emissions, there will be no reduction in New Zealand’s total emissions.

“Essentially, this is a policy to make it more expensive for New Zealand to achieve emissions reduction targets, and to make petrol and diesel more expensive at the pump.”

Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods says the Sustainable Biofuels Mandate will prevent around one million tonnes of emissions from cars, trucks, trains and ships over the next three years and up to 10 million tonnes by 2035.

“Biofuels mandates are common overseas with more than 60 jurisdictions having them.”

Emissions by mode of transport

A Ministry of Transport report revealed that NZ’s domestic transport emissions rose by 90% between 1990 and 2018.

Cars and SUVs that are majorly defined as ‘light trucks’ have been the biggest contributor to transport emissions. As per the Ministry of Transport report, nearly 67% of NZ’s transport emissions come from cars, vans, sports utility vehicles, 25% from heavy road vehicles, 7% from aviation, and 2% from shipping & rail.

However, international aviation emissions have also been increasing swiftly. Fuel accounts for a large portion of Air New Zealand’s operational costs, with New Zealand’s isolated location accounting for roughly 40%.

A transition to biofuels for transportation might have considerable environmental advantages, notably in cutting New Zealand’s reliance on fossil fuels and decreasing GHG emissions.

Kunal Sawhney Chief Executive Kalkine Group

infrastructurenews.co.nz 75

Yearbook 2022

Rising from the Antarctic, a climate alarm MANAGEMENT

By Henry Fountain and Jeremy White

76 infrastructurenews.co.nz

ENVIRONMENT

Yearbook 2022

Sources: British Antarctic Survey; NASA Earth Observatory; Asia-Pacific Data Research Center; Bright Earth e-Atlas Basemap JEREMY WHITE/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Around Antarctica, a vast, critically important current circles the world. Global warming is now affecting it in complex ways.

T

he immense and forbidding Southern Ocean is famous for howling gales and devilish swells that have tested mariners for centuries.

But its true strength lies beneath the waves.

The ocean’s dominant feature, extending up to 2 miles deep and as much as 1,200 miles wide, is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, by far the largest current in the world.

It is the world’s climate engine, and it has kept the world from warming even more by drawing deep water from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, much of which has been submerged for hundreds of years, and pulling it to the surface. There, it exchanges heat and carbon dioxide with the atmosphere before

being dispatched again on its eternal round trip.

Without this action, which scientists call upwelling, the world would be even hotter than it has become as a result of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases.

“From no perspective is there any place more important than the Southern Ocean,” said

only a relative handful of sailors plied its iceberginfested waters. What fragmentary scientific knowledge was available came from measurements taken by explorers, naval ships, the occasional research expeditions or whaling vessels.

But more recently, a new generation of floating, autonomous probes that can collect temperature,

“It is the world’s climate engine, and it has kept the world from warming even more” Joellen L. Russell, an oceanographer at the University of Arizona.

“There’s nothing like it on planet Earth.”

For centuries this ocean was largely unknown, its conditions so extreme that

density and other data for years — diving deep underwater, and even exploring beneath the Antarctic sea ice, before rising to the surface to phone home — has enabled scientists to learn much

more.

They have discovered that global warming is affecting the Antarctic current in complex ways, and these shifts could complicate the ability to fight climate change in the future.

As the world warms, Russell and others say, the unceasing winds that drive the upwelling are getting stronger. That could have the effect of releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, by bringing to the surface more of the deep water that has held this carbon locked away for centuries.

In addition, the Southern Ocean is getting warmer, and that has another important climate effect.

Some of this upwelling water, which is already relatively warm, flows infrastructurenews.co.nz 77

ENVIRONMENT

Yearbook 2022

Sources: British Antarctic Survey; NASA Earth Observatory; Natural Earth; Bright Earth e-Atlas Basemap; Tamsitt et alJ THE NEW YORK TIMES

Immense volumes of deep water flow over the centuries toward the Antarctic, where they rise and circle the continent. Climate change could disrupt this process with dire effects. beneath ice shelves on the Antarctic coast that help keep the continent’s vast, thick ice sheets from reaching the sea more quickly.

In effect, “Antarctica is melting from the bottom,” said Henri Drake, an oceanographer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

That, scientists say, is already adding to sea level rise. Over time it could contribute much more, potentially swamping coastlines in the next century and beyond.

While the potential magnitude of all these effects remains unclear, oceanographers and climate scientists say that it is increasingly urgent to understand this interplay of powerful forces and how human activity is transforming them.

“There’s lots of questions left,” said Lynne Talley, an oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California 78 infrastructurenews.co.nz

Hunting Grounds Much of humanity’s limited scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean was long linked to an industry that saw money to be made there: whaling.

Beginning in the late 19th century, whaling ships began heading southward, to the Antarctic, in growing numbers as whale populations in the more hospitable waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans declined from overhunting.

Hundreds of ships sailed the violent southern waters on voyages that could last a year or longer.

But in time, overhunting became a problem in the Southern Ocean as well.

And the British government decided more needed to be learned about the environment and behavior of the whales there in hopes of sustaining their numbers.

Which is why, in the late

1920s, George Deacon, a young London university graduate with a passion for chemistry and a longing for the sea, received an intriguing job offer: sampling the waters of the Southern Ocean as part of an expedition to help preserve the whaling industry.

For Deacon it would be the start of a storied career in oceanography.

He would go on to help develop secret World War II submarine detection devices, direct the National Institute of Oceanography and eventually receive a knighthood.

But on Dec. 24, 1927, just 21 years old, he set sail on a tiny research ship, the William Scoresby, toward Antarctica. Deacon’s work there, even though some of his conclusions were later viewed as incorrect, would shape scientific understanding of the Southern Ocean for years

to come.

He spent the better part of the next decade aboard ships, analyzing water samples from various depths. It could be dangerous work. Storms would leave the pulleys and cables used to lower equipment into the water so heavily caked with ice that torches had to be used to free them. Sample bottles, once pulled from the water, would often freeze even before they could be brought below decks, spoiling his tests.

But Deacon overcame these obstacles, ultimately sampling enough of the ocean to gain a broad understanding of its mechanics. He combined his ideas with those of others in a 1937 book, “The Hydrology of the Southern Ocean,” that became the standard textbook describing the waters around Antarctica.

Deacon and his fellow voyagers were hardly the first to experience the hardships of the Southern Ocean. Archaeological findings suggest it was explored as early as the 12th or 13th century by Indigenous Polynesians, about 500 years before Europeans first sailed there.

Visitors were rare then — and still are today. Even in a modern ship, a voyage in the Southern Ocean can be harrowing.

That’s a result of geography. The nearest significant landmass to Antarctica is Cape Horn, the southern tip of South America, about 500 miles distant across the Drake Passage. As a result, the ocean’s westerly winds have nothing to impede them, so they sweep

places.

Just a few years ago Praveen Teleti, while working on his doctorate on the historical variability of Antarctic sea ice at the University of Cambridge, realized that the logbooks of a British whaling company’s ships contained invaluable climate measurements —

While hardly a comprehensive survey, the 9,000 or so data points that Teleti unearthed are among the relative few that document the Southern Ocean before much research was undertaken there. They can be invaluable in helping scientists better understand how the region has already

“From no perspective is there any place more important than the Southern Ocean” - University of Arizona oceanographer Joellen L. Russell.

air and water temperatures, barometric pressure, wind strength — from the 1930s and 1950s.

Along with the data, the logbooks also contained occasional

changed as the world has warmed.

Around the 1950s, though, research efforts expanded.

Expeditions became more commonplace, systematic and sophisticated.

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers, Exeter, England

The William Scoresby, Deacon’s ship, during a later expedition. completely around the world, building up ferocious strength and creating huge swells.

Because relatively few ships have ventured there over the years, researchers even today look for data wherever they can find it.

It can turn up in surprising

personal comments, Teleti said, which were often breathtakingly understated.

Numbers reporting hurricane-force winds, for instance, would be accompanied by a benign comment about a gale.

“They wrote it as if it’s nothing much,” he said.

Instruments were developed that could make measurements from the bottom to the surface. And by the late 1970s, polarorbiting satellites began gathering data as well.

Sensors and Satellites But the real revolution in Southern Ocean science began in the mid-2000s, with the use of drifting floats that can adjust their buoyancy, like fish, to move up and down in the water as they take readings. They surface only occasionally, to beam their data to satellites, before sinking once again below the waves. Some even explore beneath the sea ice.

The floats, part of a worldwide project called Argo, have helped transform oceanographers’ understanding of the Southern Ocean.

They now know, for instance, that Deacon’s description of the ocean in his 1937 book was incorrect in some ways. For one thing, he described the movement of water as a recirculating loop, later named a Deacon cell in his honor, in which deep water rose in the southern part of the circumpolar current, moved northward across the current, sank and was drawn south to upwell again.

Oceanographers now know much more about the complex cycle of worldwide oceanic currents, of which the Antarctic upwelling is only a part. The waters circling Antarctica are completing an epic journey from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, flowing southward and slowly cycling upward as if climbing an ocean-sized circular staircase.

“This is deep ocean water that hasn’t seen the atmosphere for centuries,” said Veronica Tamsitt, who, as a doctoral student, worked with Talley, Drake and others to build computer models of what all the new data was revealing. infrastructurenews.co.nz 79

ENVIRONMENT

Yearbook 2022

ENVIRONMENT

Yearbook 2022

Greta Shum/Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling Project

Researchers dropped a float in the Southern Ocean in 2017.

Scientists better understand how closely intertwined the Southern Ocean is, despite its remoteness, with the rest of the world. The circular flow of water around Antarctica is, in effect, a climate engine spinning on a continental scale.

With this new knowledge, researchers are now growing increasingly alarmed about how the ocean and current may change as the Earth continues to warm.

Russell, the Arizona oceanographer, has dedicated her life to this work.

On her first voyage she was measuring dissolved oxygen in the water and kept getting readings that suggested a startling rate of upwelling. “It was coming from so deep, so fast,” she said. “That’s when my Southern Ocean obsession really started.”

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Since then she, like other oceanographers, has focused on the carbon dioxide that is dissolved, in vast quantities, in the deep waters surfacing around Antarctica.

‘The Rot of Ages’ One of the most important processes that occurs in the Southern Ocean is the

by the burning of fossil fuels. Oceans absorb large amounts of these emissions, while also absorbing heat from the atmosphere, serving as a critical buffer against climate change and keeping the world from otherwise becoming a practically unlivable hothouse.

By some estimates the

“Global warming is affecting the Antarctic current in complex ways, and these shifts could complicate the ability to fight climate change in the future” exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and the atmosphere. And how this process may change as the world warms has huge implications for fighting climate change.

Global warming is mainly caused by carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere

oceans have taken up about 25% of the excess carbon dioxide, and more than 90% of the excess heat, that has resulted from burning of fossil fuels and other human activities since the 19th century. But the deep ocean water that upwells around Antarctica

contains even more carbon dioxide — not from current emissions, but dissolved over centuries from organic matter including decaying marine organisms, tiny and immense, that sink when they die.

“It’s been accumulating the rot of ages,” Russell said.

When this ancient water reaches the surface, some of that carbon dioxide is released, or “outgassed,” as the scientists say.

Researchers have long thought that the Southern Ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide than it releases, with a beneficial effect for climate. But if more water upwells, more of this carbon dioxide could be outgassed, shifting this critical balance. That would make it more difficult to fight climate change: Nations would have to reduce their emissions even more to keep warming in

check.

Upwelling is driven by those incessant Southern Ocean winds, which push surface water northward, drawing up deep water behind it. The winds are affected by warming, and they have already strengthened in recent decades.

A recent study suggested that the Southern Ocean is still absorbing more carbon dioxide than it is releasing.

But many researchers think the ocean may already be outgassing more carbon dioxide than previously thought. And if the winds keep strengthening as the world warms, they say, the upwelling and outgassing could keep increasing.

Scientists point out that

more upwelling might actually have one benefit in the effort to fight climate change: It could allow more of the atmosphere’s excess heat to be absorbed. But overall, they are concerned.

“We’re excited about it, because it would take up more heat,” Russell said.

also relatively warm, and warming more, which spells trouble for the planet in the form of sea level rise.

Some of that warm water reaches Antarctica’s continental shelf, where it flows beneath ice shelves, the tongues of ice at the ends of glaciers. These

“Antarctica is melting from the bottom,” - Massachusetts Institute of Technology oceanographer Henri Drake.

“But we’re worried about it because of all that deepocean carbon.”

Underneath the Ice Carbon, however, isn’t the only concern. The water that’s welling up in the Southern Ocean is

glaciers act as buttresses, helping to hold back the massive ice sheets that cover the continent and that are slowly moving toward the ocean.

But scientists discovered several decades ago that this upwelling water is

melting the ice shelves from underneath. As the ice thins, the glaciers lose some of their ability to keep the ice sheets in check.

Most of this melting is occurring on Antarctica’s western side, where the circumpolar current comes closest to the coast. There, the ice shelves of two large glaciers, Thwaites and Pine Island, hold much of the region’s ice sheet back.

So far, their melting and thinning has contributed only a relatively small amount to rising sea levels. But the concern is that if the ice shelves melt too much, they could collapse, accelerating the movement of the glaciers, and eventually much of the West Antarctic ice sheet, to

Sources: British Antarctic Survey; NASA Earth Observatory; Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University; Bright Earth e-Atlas Basemap THE NEW YORK TIMES

Floating ice shelves act as an important brake to the glaciers, slowing the flow of land ice into the ocean. As land ice reaches the sea, it adds to rising sea levels. infrastructurenews.co.nz 81

ENVIRONMENT

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

ENVIRONMENT

the ocean. New research suggests such a collapse of part of the Thwaites ice shelf, and a resulting speed-up of the flow there, could occur within the next decade.

Were the West Antarctic ice sheet to flow into the ocean, seas could rise as much as 12 feet over centuries.

to fill the void,” he said. “And it’s looking like there will be more of that, based on computer models.”

In less than a century, the state of the art has progressed from Deacon’s solitary whaling research ship, to fleets of autonomous oceangoing probes circling the world, to sophisticated computer

“Many researchers think the ocean may already be outgassing more carbon dioxide than previously thought.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The current pulls water along the ocean bottom to the base of the ice, creating a cycle that eats away at the sea shelf from below.

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Already, the rate of melting of these glaciers is accelerating. And again, the winds play a key role.

In the case of ice-shelf melting, the winds that matter are those close to the continent, said David Holland, a mathematician and climate scientist at New York University. But the effect is the same. In the past, studies suggest, these close-in winds have kept colder water at the surface, preventing the warmer water from rising high enough to reach the continental shelf and the ice shelves.

But those winds have shifted, said Holland, who was a leader of pioneering research that drilled through the Thwaites ice shelf to measure the water temperature below. “Right now the wind is pushing the cold water away, and so the warm water is coming

models.

And today, scientists are on the brink of getting even more data. The Argo program is about to deploy globally a new generation of more sophisticated floats capable of measuring much more than basic temperature and salinity.

Of particular interest to Russell and others are acidity readings, because they can be used to determine the water’s carbon dioxide content.

That could help further illuminate the profound importance of deep, ancient, carbon-laden water to the world’s future.

Despite all that has been learned, Russell said, “Unlike any other field of exploration, we are at the absolute frontier here.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times

With your support we can continue to provide practical help, care and comfort.

Accommodation and home visits are just two of the ways we support New Zealanders affected by cancer.

Visit cancer.org.nz to find ways to make a difference by volunteering, donating or taking part in our events.

WATER

Yearbook 2022

I Water sector a key player in managing climate change

ncreasing evidence suggests that unsustainable water and wastewater management is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Much more can be done by people who have the great responsibility for the management of water resources at the local, regional, or national level.

Managing water to reduce methane emissions

It is time the world wakes up to the pivotal role of improved water management in achieving Paris Agreement goals, Water Policy Group consultant Anthony Slatyer says 84 infrastructurenews.co.nz

Did you know that poorly managed wastewater is estimated to produce up to around 9% of humancaused global methane emissions? Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Better management of effluent can greatly reduce these emissions while also providing economic, health, gender equality, environmental, and human

rights benefits, and it can provide clean energy recovered from wastewater.

With such immense benefits, it is shameful that 3.6 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation services. The added advantage of reducing methane emissions could finally tip the scales in favor of the imperative policy reforms and investments to get safe sanitation to all people by 2030, as promised under Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Now is the time for the world to get serious about sanitation.

Did you know that a similar percentage of methane emissions come from paddy farming using ponded water? Methane emissions from rice paddies can be mitigated by better management of water in these fields.

The benefit of reducing

methane emissions, if supported by policy reforms and investments, could encourage millions of smallholder farmers to improve flood irrigation practices for themselves and their communities. Now is the time for the world to get serious about irrigation water management.

Another large source of methane emissions is rotting vegetation in natural and human created freshwater systems such as lakes, rivers, swamps and reservoirs.

The benefit of reducing methane emissions could justify the better design and operations of these systems, such as clearing vegetation prior to filling any new storages, better upstream catchment management, and restoring natural wetting and drying regimes to wetlands with regulated water flows rather than keeping them at an artificial level. Now is the time for the world to get serious about the water and catchment management of dams and wetlands.

Water for clean energy

How water is managed will also affect its availability for the production of clean energy at the scale required to limit global warming to 1.5 C.

“In 2020, hydropower supplied one sixth of global electricity generation,

hence the welfare of water users and the environment.

Retrofitting current dams

storage. Now is the time for the world to get serious about hydropower water management.

The use of green hydrogen for liquid fuel also requires water, with every liter of hydrogen consuming nine liters of water. In hydrogen production locations where desalination is not feasible, the freshwater requirements will affect water availability for other purposes and push governments to consider the socioeconomic and environmental tradeoffs with other water uses.

Now is the time for the world to get serious about water sources for hydrogen production. devex.com

making it the single largest source of low-carbon power – and more than all other renewables combined,” according to the International Energy Agency. To achieve netzero emissions by 2050, “governments would need to raise their hydropower ambitions drastically,” growing capacity twice as fast through 2030 as has been forecast, the agency advises.

The problem is that any hydropower affects the timing and scale of water flows downstream and

will also affect the capacity of the structures to deliver its water security and flood mitigation services.

In-river hydropower will also have a range of environmental impacts.

A great contribution that water managers can make to keeping the world under 1.5 C of warming is to assist governments in working out the complex trade-offs involved in developing new hydropower capacity, whether through conventional gravityfed dams, run-of-river installations, or pumped

Tony Slatyer is an independent consultant on water policy and governance and cofounder of Water Policy Group. infrastructurenews.co.nz 85

WATER

Yearbook 2022

Yearbook 2022

Timely advice for Three-Waters investment management WATER

Replacing analogue with digital systems has already enabled companies to rise but now digitalisation offers more significant step changes

T

he water industry has changed radically in the past two decades. Water utilities’ duties to supply water and wastewater services have expanded into resilience planning, acting as conduits between all water users and the water environment, and adjusting to ever more demanding customer service expectations.

A new report by the Global Water Research Coalition, The Digital Water Utility of the Future, defines the many components of digitalisation and provides detailed descriptions of the opportunities and risks, enablers and barriers.

It suggests a four-step path towards digital maturity, moving from building a strong internal

to a strong external focus, and identifies specific opportunities to optimise efficiencies within and between business units, enhance the interface with suppliers and customers, and leverage tighter integration with the community and external agencies.

Progress requires not just understanding and

adopting new technological opportunities, but also transitioning leadership and workforce culture to embrace digital mentalities and ways of working, says co-author Dr Greg Ryan, Director of Business Excellence at the Water Services Association of Australia.

Data becomes a strategic asset Unsurprisingly, technology is identified as a major enabler, and the report gathers input from the Coalition’s network to present a wide range of examples spanning the entire water utility business.

The report explains how digitalisation differs from traditional approaches, for example analysing data at the business level rather than by service function.

It describes how new technology and methods improve capacity to collate disparate data on infrastructure performance, environmental conditions,

Digital technology in action -- a case study of Singapore’s Marina Barrage operations system is included in the report.

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Yearbook 2022

Efficient business – deeper insights Digitalisation has the power to completely transform water utilities’ business operations, from increasing data accuracy, collated in real time, to predictive analytics and data-driven AI decision support.

Digitalised monitoring and control devices, with computer systems that read and respond to monitored measurements, can automate routine processes and increase safety of asset inspections.

Self-learning algorithms can make programmes progressively more independent and less in need of operator input, possibly exceeding the capability of humans due to its consistent logic.

The move to enterprisewide systems referred to by Dr Ryan allows full integration of singlesource data that can be

strategy is improved, the greater the benefits.

meaningfully interrogated and converted to information for decision making.

The report outlines how digital utilities integrate their business units, including asset management, business processes and customer service.

As more data is collated and analysed, digitalisation can streamline business systems using tools such as BIM. “In a capital-constrained,

Marketplace’ to improve procurement of digital services.

Technology is developing rapidly and it is increasingly difficult to anticipate longer-term procurement needs. Utilities need to be agile, innovative, and well connected to pick up on, and harness the latest trends.

However, Ryan advises water managers not to be distracted by new technology. “The key is to focus on the business

The report outlines how digital utilities integrate their business units, including asset management, business processes and customer service post-Covid world, it is becoming increasingly important to become more efficient and deliver high quality customer service,” says Dr Ryan.

The prospects for businesses that are slow to adapt “will depend on many factors including the local political environment, the likelihood of private sector competition, along with economic and social pressures”.

Procuring for Digital Water The report discusses opportunities such as the UK Government’s ‘Digital

problems being solved, then seek out digital solutions that are compatible with the current maturity of the organisation. It is no use installing the latest smart meters if the organisation lacks the ability to effectively gather, analyse and respond to the data they produce.”

The report describes how strategic partnerships can reduce the risks of stranded or obsolete IT infrastructure and warns against the temptation to focus on Operations and Maintenance.

The higher up the supply chain the procurement

Digital security Security breaches and the threat from hackers are valid concerns that act as a barrier to full digitalisation.

The report presents a generic digital reference framework identifying key components such as individual ‘internet of things’ devices such as smart meters or sensors, through Bluetooth and WiFi, mobile apps and analytics, to industry-wide or smart city systems.

Security breaches can affect each component.

The key to managing cybersecurity is understanding which level of the digital architecture is impacted, how to isolate it, and the extent to which it will affect different parts of the business.

The report outlines cyber-attacks including those aimed at core water utility operations. Hacked systems might enable malicious controls to cut off water supply, disrupt drinking water treatment processes, disrupt sewage pumping to flood houses and sewer overflows, or disrupt sewage treatment to release harmful environmental discharges.

Fortunately, there are approaches to help utilities improve their security and the authors present various existing protocols to improve cybersecurity at every digital touchpoint.

Encryption is identified as one effective way to protect data and digital operations from cyber-attack.

Extracted from a Global Water Research Coalition report prepared by coalition partner the International Water Association infrastructurenews.co.nz 87

WATER

customers, budgets and find meaningful patterns.

The report argues that new business value will come from sharing and using data, with information becoming a new strategic asset, allowing value creation beyond traditional infrastructure.

“In the field it is Smart Meters, closely followed

by IoT devices looking at treatment and management of the water cycle.

“Within the businesses, it has been the move to enterprise-wide systems that link data from disparate sources to provide a single source of truth for the organisation,” says Dr Ryan.

“In addition, there is a keen focus on enhancing customer relationship management systems to better understand and tailor offerings to customers,”

Yearbook 2022 Reproduced by permission JLL New Zealand - www.jll.nz August 2021 Managing Director Todd Lauchlan Head of Research Gavin Read Auckland 09 366 1666 Wellington 04 499 1666

MANAGEMENT

3 ideas for building the future cities we need As a real estate consultancy, our focus on Future Cities, rather than Future Buildings or Sectors, is an acknowledgement that great cities are so much more than the sum of their parts� Real estate has a hugely influential role to play in the way we develop and experience our cities, but its potential can only be fully realised if it interfaces with the full gamut of physical and social infrastructure that supports their people�

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Christchurch 03 375 6600

At our Auckland and Wellington events we heard from Mayors, business leaders, corporate occupiers, and developers, as well as in what sounds like the opening to a bad joke, an economist, an urban designer, and a KiwiSaver provider� All of our speakers and panellists had a vision for what our two biggest cities could and should look like in the future, and how we might get there� Here we’ve picked out three key themes that resonated…

Yearbook 2022

Women in Urbanism Aotearoa’s Emma McInnes used this Jane Jacobs quote to underline that our cities still have a long way to go to meet the needs of all their people� For example, with public transport services primarily designed to service commuter needs, the more complex needs of parents and primary care-givers – which still today tend to be women – are largely unmet. This leaves little choice, at least for those that have access to one, to resort to private vehicle use – thereby defeating one of the core purposes of public transport which is to reduce congestion and its social and environmental impacts� The argument that cities are designed for men by men is given further credence by a look at the line-up of Auckland’s decision-makers� And while not as binary, the make-up of those helping to inform the decisions and decision-makers could and should be more diverse�

MANAGEMENT

1. Cities and towns are only great when they’re designed for everyone At local government level in New Zealand, women make up only around a third of city councillors, a quarter of regional councillors, and a fifth of district mayors, while drilling further into the urban professions, women only represent 14% of engineers and 29% of architects. Similar, if not greater, inequities would doubtless be found when examining the wider inclusivity challenge of Maori and Pasifika.

But McInnes says it doesn’t have to be this way� Stockholm’s even gender balance of councillors is reflected in truly inclusive city building, such as what is happening in the community of Hammarby where well-planned inclusive design and gender sensitivity has created a safe, vibrant community� This gender sensitivity stretches across Stockholm, where public transport is enabled – and free – for caregivers with prams; something that not only gives the caregivers a sense of dignity, but also helps the network to run on time�

infrastructurenews.co.nz 89

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

2. People need to come together for the future of mobility As Uber’s Lewis Mills pointed out, our future transport needs will not be met simply by more on-demand, electric vehicles and services� Rather, as our cities’ populations swell, the solution will require a more seamless coordination of public and on-demand transport to reduce the number of vehicles clogging up our roads. Our daily journeys must be shared, multimodal, and integrated� In Auckland, the CRL promises to be a gamechanger for reinvigorating and reconnecting areas of the city, but it is not the panacea alone�

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From the scooters and e-bikes of today, to the autonomous helicopters of the future and whatever might be imagined beyond these, servicing our core public transport infrastructure with first and last mile solutions will be integral to realising its full potential – which will need to see service providers like Uber being embraced as a complement rather than competitor� The end game here is to connect people with place with as little social and environmental impact as possible�

MANAGEMENT

Yearbook 2022

3. We need to talk about finding a home at home for KiwiSaver money Simplicity’s Sam Stubbs anticipates that within the next 10 years, the pool of our retirement savings will have reached $400 billion – and as one of the leading KiwiSaver managers, he’s intensely frustrated by the lack of domestic options available to him to invest New Zealanders’ money back into New Zealand� Invest our money in Australia? No problem� Stubbs says he currently has the pick of six toll roads he could invest in there right now, while at the same time we continue to plan for tomorrow’s growth with yesterday’s infrastructure and invest only in whatever’s required to hold it together.

While councils point to their levels of debt and reliance on rates to fund improvements, Stubbs says the solution is staring them in the face� “The top ten KiwiSaver managers will invest $10 billion each here in New Zealand over the next ten years, and yet do you think there is any dialogue with central or local government about where that money goes?

Zero� And yet the sort of things we need right now: wastewater pipes, public transport … all of these things I’d love to invest in, because they’re just tolling operations … a fantastic investment, and yet of the $72 billion currently in Kiwisaver, 60% is getting invested overseas�” With council debt essentially maxed out, no access to water and the electricity grid sold, Stubbs says the only New Zealand infrastructure investment available is buying or developing buildings�

infrastructurenews.co.nz 91

October - January 2020 - 2021

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Want to find an award-winning flat white? How about the best restaurant to charm clients in town? Because we’re local, we can point you towards the very best.

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