Message from our Chief Executive

Malcolm Fleming Chief Executive

2022: A time of considerable activity and opportunity

At the time of writing, I have been in the Chief Executive (CE) role for just over a month and have seen, heard, and learnt a lot. I recently spent two days in Wellington attending my first New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Board and Presidents Zone meeting.

It was a great opportunity to meet members and hear how industry issues (supply chain constraints, cost escalation, labour shortages, rising interest rates) are affecting them. I also gained a sense of what our members are looking to us for in these times of great uncertainty, disruption, and risk. What I’m hearing is that members have a significant appetite for educational material that addresses non-technical competencies. Providing structured non-technical training to a membership base was an area of focus at my former role (CE, New Zealand Institute of Building) and is an area where I believe membership associations can provide significant benefit to their membership bases.

Later this year, NZCB members can expect to receive information on a range of topics, including: • Cash-flow forecasting • Contract work extensions

• Staff retention policies • Mental wellbeing • Job planning/management • Winding down/restructuring options to reflect changing market conditions.

• Contract and client management. A programme of work to understand what younger members require of their association will also be undertaken.

In-person events on the horizon

Regional Committees have felt constrained in their event management and general membership engagement roles during the pandemic, but with COVID-19 restrictions behind us, this is set to change. While NZCB will continue to provide education offerings online, you can expect to see a fresh range of in-person events that will address current industry needs and invigorate both the regions and the membership. Active in advocacy

Advocacy with the government has featured strongly in my first few weeks in the role, with NZCB lodging two submissions with the government. One opposes the Fair Pay Agreement (at Bill stage) and the second supports the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) proposal that the implementation date for H1 changes be pushed out six months. The MBIE’s proposal is a direct result of NZCB’s advocacy on this issue, as led by NZCB Board Independent Director Katrina Bach during her Acting Chief Executive tenure. Later this year, the government will likely seek feedback from our industry on the following topics: • Building for Climate Control • Review of the 1991 Resource Management Act • Building Code update. Submission writing is something NZCB should be involved in. Over the coming months, we will invite members to express an interest in being involved in submission writing, on topics that align with their area of expertise.

Changes on the cards

Several industry association colleagues have asked NZCB to be involved in a range of initiatives that will connect our membership with beneficial programmes and initiatives. In my view, positioning NZCB as an engaged and influential industry stakeholder amongst our peers, is important. While it’s early days as the Association’s CE, it has become clear that the NZCB membership proposition is a strong one – but many members aren’t maximising it. You can expect to see communications and strategies designed to lift awareness of the full suite of benefits NZCB members have access to.

Congratulations to NZCB Board Member Director Nick Farrelly on his appointment as NZCB Board Chairperson following the June Annual General Meeting. We both step into our respective Chairperson and CE roles during a period of significant activity and change within the construction industry. It is a time of great opportunity for NZCB – exciting times lie ahead.