NZCB InHouse magazine December 2023/January 2024

The official magazine of New Zealand Certified Builders Association

Comfortech® H1 FAQs Pg 26

The power of an online presence Pg 32

Protecting your workplace: Crisis preparedness and response Pg 56

December/January 2024

Giving back: Gisborne builders now certified hunks Pages 40 to 41

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Contents NZCB NEWS From the Editor Chief Executive Report NZCB advocacy

2 4 6

National Support Office Report

NZCB 2024 diaries

Halo Guarantee Application now online

National Support Office holiday closure

NZCB homeowner advertising campaign Halo Guarantees Ltd Chief Executive to take up new role Employment resources on the members-only Toolshed NZCB welcomes new National Partner A trio of excellence: celebrating 20 years of service NZCB Strategic Partners and Affinity Partners NZCB National Partners

12 13 13 14 16 80 81

INDUSTRY NEWS TANZ supporting the New Zealand construction industry New building product information requirements One in two construction workers verbally abused at work Securing the future of steelmaking in New Zealand

18 20 22 23

NEWS BITES

EVENTS Giving back: Gisborne builders now certified hunks NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo 2024 Canterbury Social Bowling strikes success Family Fun Day at the Auckland Zoo NZCB Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM 2024

LEADERSHIP Why financial reporting is key for success

Keeping your team safe beyond the workplace Hidden hazard for outdoor workers Wall of pain survey Hard hat basic safety Protecting your workplace

Build up to the Christmas holidays

Comfortech® H1 FAQs 26 Healthy plasterboard, healthy homes and a healthy environment 28 Optimum moisture protection for SIPs construction 30

Shaping the future: advances in apprenticeships Introducing the Critical Skills Apprenticeship Programme

32 34 36 38 42 44 45 46

Cover image: NZCB Gisborne members behind the inaugural 2024 Charity Calendar, “New Zealand Certified Hunks”. Back, from left: Clay Parker, Willy Hallgarth, Dave Wallace, Bruce Knight, Brendan Fry (NZCB President Gisborne). Front, from left: Phill Claffey, Digby Toothill and Sam Gavin. Picture by Liam Clayton, The Gisborne Herald.

50 52 53 54 56

WELLNESS APPRENTICE SUPPORT

The power of an online presence Securing your work sites and home before the holidays Why you don’t need terms of trade Understanding deposits Systems review: a solid digital foundation Holidays and entitlements Keep admin under control Building success brick by brick

HEALTH & SAFETY

SUSTAINABILITY

TRADIE ACADEMY

40 60 66 66 67

68 70

FROM OUR PARTNERS Inspired colour choices with Haier ovens Hardwood decking handling and installation

72 74

IN THE MEDIA

Pg 36

Pg 68

NZCB NEWS

From the Editor As 2023 draws to a close, I’m pondering the last 12 months and it strikes me that our collective journey in 2023 is a bit like a construction project; full of ups, downs, unexpected turns and, hopefully, a beautiful result at the end!

InHouse Published bi-monthly in print and online, InHouse is the official magazine for New Zealand Certified Builders Association (NZCB). InHouse aims to educate and inform our members and their staff of the latest news from the Association and the Building and Construction Industry. New Zealand Certified Builders PO Box 13405, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141 10 Marsh Street, Tauranga 3110 07 927 7720 0800 237 843 www.nzcb.nz Editor Linda Moody 07 557 9214 linda@nzcb.nz NZCB Partnerships and Services Karla Farrar 021 906 234 karla@nzcb.nz Advertising and Content Linda Moody 07 557 9214 linda@nzcb.nz Designers Wave Agency www.waveagency.co.nz Print and Distribution Kale Print Limited www.kaleprint.co.nz Mailing List If you have received a copy of InHouse and wish to opt out, you would prefer to receive it via email, or would like to update your details please email linda@nzcb.nz.

Find NZCB on

Print ISSN 2463-3305 Online ISSN 2703-2418

First and foremost, a huge thank you to all of you for being such fantastic members and stakeholders. Your dedication to New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is what keeps us going strong. Without you, we’d be like a toolbox without tools – it just wouldn’t work! This year we’ve featured some amazing articles from talented and knowledgeable contributors, helping our members and stakeholders upskill, stay informed, and grow. I want to take a moment to thank each and every one who has contributed to InHouse magazine this year. Your time, effort, continued support, and commitment are much appreciated. The last issue of the year contains updates, news, and reflections from the Association, our partners, and industry experts. We feature insights from the regions, acknowledging and celebrating successful events. A special congratulations to Tracy, Brendan, and the Gisborne region for the outstanding launch of the 2024 Charity Calendar, New Zealand Certified Hunks. You can read more about their journey on pages 40–41. You’ll read about some of our exceptional staff members, who have been recognised for their invaluable contribution over the past two decades. We offer a glimpse into the planning of the NZCB 26th Annual General Meeting and 25th Annual Conference & Expo, scheduled for 20–21 June at the Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre.

With over 800 attendees expected, three distinguished keynote speakers, and 74 tradespecific exhibitors, this event promises to be a highlight on the 2024 calendar. We present a great mix of articles to help members keep on top of the basics and address more challenging topics, from building success brick by brick, the power of an online presence, understanding deposits, terms of trade, and preparing for the summer break. But that’s not all; you will find articles on topics such as handling hostage situations, promoting basic safety, focusing on mental wellbeing as we approach the holidays, and healthier living and building practices … hold on tight for a great read! As you hang up your tools and bid farewell to 2023, I encourage you to embrace the ups and downs this year has brought us and remember that gratitude can be a powerful tool. It helps us refocus on what we have, bringing more optimism and lowering stress levels. Here’s to a holiday filled with laughter, relaxation, and happiness!

Linda Moody NZCB InHouse Editor

InHouse magazine, including the wrap, is 100% recyclable. InHouse is printed on PEFC-certified paper, supporting the growth of responsible forest management worldwide. The press used to print InHouse utilises a UV light drying system (LED), meaning there is no solvent to evaporate, and no environmental pollutants are formed. It also uses less power than traditional print technology, which helps reduce overall CO2 emissions. The contents of InHouse may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the Editor. All material received will be assumed to be intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘Not for Publication’ and will be published at the discretion of the Editor. Views expressed in articles in InHouse are not necessarily those of New Zealand Certified Builders Association. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this publication, the designers, publishers, and Editor take no responsibility for errors, omissions or for any consequences of reliance on this information. Articles are not intended to be relied upon as legal advice.

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NZCB NEWS

Chief Executive Report 2023 review/2024 preview Looking back at 2023

Looking to 2024

As we draw the curtain on 2023, it would be remiss not to recall that the year started with catastrophic floods in the upper North Island, followed in quick succession by Cyclone Gabriel. New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) recognises that these adverse weather events have impacted many of our members and their clients, with members in affected regions playing (or yet to play) a key role in resourcing the required property remediation works that follow the twin disasters.

Projects worked on during 2023 that will be delivered in 2024 include: • Certified Plans (V2) – a suite of five new designs focusing on standout design, affordability, and sustainability. • Carpentry Role courses – potentially three offerings (Leading Hand, Foreman/Site Supervisor, Site Operations) that provide a clear career path for qualified carpenters. • Business 101 workshops – a suite of courses designed for those who own or run a business (or those intending to), with topics including Finance, Marketing, Communication, HR, and Business Structure & Administration. This represents a clear intent from NZCB to ensure we set our members up for business success.

More NZCB-centric, 2023 represented a very special year for the Association with our 25th birthday (1998-2023). We celebrated with a Parliamentary dinner in June, hosted by the Minister of Building & Construction, Hon Dr Megan Woods. The NZCB 25th anniversary video titled ‘Made by’ was launched in September. It captures the sense of pride members have in their craft and their Association as well as reflects the special community that is the NZCB membership. The feedback from members and nonmembers has been very complimentary, which suggests our brief to the agency that developed the concept was met. The 25-year anniversary video can be viewed at www.nzcb.nz.

• NZCB App – a digital platform designed to become an indispensable tool for members that provides everything they need to run a residential building site via their phone. In addition, the App will deliver NZCB communications on matters specific to each member’s areas of interest and will provide the means to book and record NZCB courses and events on a new member dashboard.

The National Support Office (NSO) focused on multiple key projects this year. While the bulk of them will be delivered in 2024, those that were realised in 2023 include:

• The launch of the NZCB Apprentice Trust (formally the Apprentice Support Trust) as the NZCB’s ‘Charity of Choice’, which provides a compelling range of awards, grants, and scholarships for apprentices employed by NZCB Business Members.

• The NZCB Apprentice Network was soft launched at the May 2023 AGM, Conference & Expo and received considerable media attention when launched formally via Auckland and Christchurch events in October. This programme was further enhanced by a NZCB Board decision to make Trainee Membership (the membership grade for apprentices) free.

A big thank you to all members who worked with the management team to frame up new NZCB initiatives and workstreams in 2023; your contribution is important and appreciated. The deep desire to support NZCB’s strategic goals was evident to me in September. When I reached out to a select group of members about shaping the Business 101 and Carpentry Role courses, the response was overwhelming. Whether participating in an online interview or attending a day-long workshop at the NZCB Wellington office, the 90% participation rate showcased an incredible level of engagement. This response mirrors the robust community culture of NZCB, as depicted in our 25th-anniversary video. For members yet to view the video, you can find it on the NZCB website. The video provides a great blend of looking back with pride and looking forward with confidence, which is representative of where NZCB is positioned at the conclusion of 2023.

•● NZCB’s new Client Relationship Management (CRM) system represents a sizeable investment made in upgrading the Association’s IT platforms to best practice; moving away from a bespoke system to adopting the world’s largest off-theshelf CRM product, Salesforce. The productivity, functionality, and ongoing cost savings the new CRM brings to NZCB will be considerable.

Malcolm Fleming NZCB Chief Executive

NZCB NEWS

NZCB advocacy Providing a voice to represent New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is a collective effort. The NZCB Board, NZCB Members, and NZCB Executive Leadership Team sit on several national boards and industry groups. Below you will find some of their recent advocacy work. New Zealand Construction Industry Council (NZCIC)

MBIE’s Building Advisory Panel The third meeting of the 2023-2026 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Building Advisory Panel (BAP) was held in Wellington in mid-November, later than scheduled due to the timing of the New Zealand election.

The 36-member NZCIC is the peak body for the construction industry with NZCB’s representative being the NZCIC Chair since July 2022. NZCB representative: Chief Executive, Malcolm Fleming

NZCB representative: Chief Executive, Malcolm Fleming

ConCOVE’s Tūhura: A day to reimagine

NZS 3604 (Timber-framed buildings) Standards Development Committee

Representing NZCB, I attended Tūhura: A day to reimagine, an event put together by ConCOVE. This event was an opportunity to explore ideas and connect with advocates from the wider sector. It put the spotlight on New Zealand’s vocational education landscape, including technology, innovation, policy makers, education, and research agencies. The concept was to engage in discussion, kindle ideas, and collectively drive systemic change.

NZCB continues to be represented on the NZS 3604 review with one meeting held in September and another in October. We are on target with the final draft for the revised NZS 3604 to be released to the industry for feedback late 2023/early 2024. NZCB representative: NZCB Board Member Director, Ian Chamberlain

NZCB representative: Industry Pathways and Apprenticeships Manager, Nick Matthews

MBIE’s C/AS1 2024 Project NZCB asked if I would be involved in ongoing consultation of 2022 proposals for C/AS1 – Protection from Fire in Residential Homes, which includes increasing the scope to the new multiunit dwellings up to three storey or 11 metres high.

nearby properties. This could involve better fire cells, upgraded smoke alarm systems or sprinkler systems, and escape routes to all new builds in the future rule changes – technical details around C/AS1. Some work has already been approved from the 2022 proposals. This new consultation will look at concerns provided by earlier submissions.

Still in the early days with no meetings as yet. Information provided to the group is confidential.

NZCB representative: NZCB Board past Chairperson and Member Director, Mike Craig

The group is to look at any improvements that could be made to C/AS1 that would benefit the life safety of the occupants and

BRANZ Building Research Advisory Council NZCB Board past Chairperson and member, Mike Craig, was acknowledged for his six-year contribution to the council at the BRANZ Building Research Advisory Council meeting on 3 August.

knowledge. Dr. Katy Stokes presented on the work BRANZ had recently completed, sharing their guidance and learnings from the Auckland Anniversary weekend flood and Cyclone Gabrielle floods.

Amy Knight gave a presentation on the “Future of Work.” We also discussed the results of a systematic review regarding the expertise needed to deliver zero carbon buildings. We explored whether the industry possessed this expertise and, if not, why not. We also discussed the best methods to impart this

NZCB representative: NZCB Board past Chairperson and Member Director, Mike Craig (2017-2023), NZCB Board Member Director Garry Nott (2023-)

BRANZ/MBIE/ACC – Development of seismic learning modules for builders NZCB has provided the projects of two builders to work alongside BRANZ and EQC subject matter experts (architects and engineers). Andy Press and myself (Mike Craig) were asked to help other panellists to understand what it would take to improve existing houses, and to some extent new builds, if a region was to have a major earthquake. An interesting exercise from a builder’s point of view because we know that a lot of houses need upgrading over and above what we do with the plans we price and the contracts we put in place. As always, it’s about the affordability of a project and what a client can afford.

About the Seismic Learning project BRANZ is working with EQC and MBIE on a joint project to develop some online learning modules for builders. The aim is to improve the seismic resilience of New Zealand homes – both newbuilds and retrofitting existing homes. We are at the beginning stages and our first step is to run two two-hour ‘discovery’ sessions to identify what we need to cover and how best to do that. The discovery sessions will involve subject matter experts (engineers, designers) from BRANZ, EQC, and MBIE, as well as two builders.

But what’s the cost when it all goes wrong in an earthquake?

We would also like NZCB members to review the learning material as it is developed.

People losing their homes and having nowhere to live. Is there a solution to this, or do we live with the risk of there being major damage to property?

NZCB representatives: NZCB Board past Chairperson and Member Director, Mike Craig and NZCB President Wellington, Andy Press

We have been engaged in two afternoon meetings so far with a summary still to come from BRANZ.

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NZCB NEWS

National Support Office Report New staff New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is excited to welcome and introduce to you the newest members of the team; Digital Marketing Coordinator, Sophie Cleal and Education & Events Manager Marcia Hintz. Both will be based in the Tauranga National Support Office (NSO). Welcome Sophie

Welcome Marcia

We are excited to welcome Sophie Cleal as our new full-time Digital Marketing Coordinator. Sophie replaces Jess Hood in ensuring the NZCB Presidents have full support when launching local events and managing regional partnerships. Sophie will also assist the marketing team with implementing our ‘always on’ digital advertising campaign.

The Education & Events Manager is a new role that has been created to ensure NZCB delivers its newly created Business 101 and Carpentry Role courses, which will be launched to the membership in 2024. As well as the new training programmes, Marcia will be responsible for the planning and logistics of the annual NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo and regional events. For the former, Marcia will be supported by an External Event Manager (as is in place for 2023), and for the latter, by a new Events Coordinator whom Marcia will appoint in early 2024.

Holding a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Marketing from Victoria University of Wellington, Sophie graduated in 2021. She has just relocated from Wellington with her partner and is located at the Tauranga office, where she started her role with NZCB on 16 October.

Marcia comes to NZCB from Vertical Horizonz New Zealand where she already had some connection with NZCB members through the running of the pilot ‘Train the Trainer’ workshop where she facilitated Auckland members during August and September. Tauranga-based Marcia is highly regarded in the education space and her appointment represents a coup for NZCB. Having Marcia in this focused role underlines NZCB’s commitment to member education as a strategic imperative. Marcia started at NSO on 1 November.

Sophie’s career journey includes an 18-month stint at Kiwibank, starting as a Web Coordinator and earning a promotion to Web Specialist this year, where she excelled in managing web-related projects and optimising performance metrics. She also spent six months as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Starboard Maritime Intelligence, gaining valuable experience in digital marketing, social media, and email marketing. Sophie will undoubtedly be an asset to the NSO team.

Team updates Here is an update on what the teams at the NZCB National Support Office have been working on. Should you require any further information about what has been keeping us busy, please contact the respective Team Manager using the contact details below.

• • • •

Finance Team

Membership and Technical Team

Manager Sandra Kennerley | 021 566 224 | sandra@nzcb.nz Regular processing of transactions. Assisting the Regions with their fundraising events. Budget work with Regions and NSO. Work on online shop including a stocktake and reconciliation to Xero.

Manager Shane Ririnui | 021 906 489 | shane@nzcb.nz • Customer Liaison – Ongoing homeowner enquiry with very little elevating to a formal complaint. – The nature of the enquiries are contract implementation or client management. – Working with Karla to create FAQ for the NZCB public facing website.

NZCB NEWS

• New Membership Coordinator – A high level of new member applications has been received keeping Shaye busy. – Starting to experience an increase in resignation of membership. – Company changes ongoing and steady. • Territory Managers – Supporting the Regions with Golf Days, Factory Tours, Chew the Fat, Bowling and Movie Days/Nights, Training Events and Christmas functions. – Planning 2024 Event Calendar with regions. – Supporting Nick Matthews with the Apprentice Network Launch.

Marketing and Membership Services Team Manager Karla Farrar | 021 906 234 | karla@nzcb.nz • NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo 2024 planning. • ● 26th Members-only AGM preparation and planning. • ● NZCB advertising new homeowner campaign; photo shoots and working with design agency to finalise. • ● NZCB advertising membership recruitment campaign; edited and launched. • ● NZCB News, Education, and Deals and Benefits; monthly email newsletter preparation, planning and delivery. • ● Regional Events have ramped up; assistance with development and communications, including Build Nelson, Factory Tours, Chew the Fat, Family Zoo, Bowling and Movie Days/Nights, members meetings, Training Events and Golf Days in Bay of Islands/Far North, Waikato, Taupō, Auckland, Nelson Bays. • ● Assistance with the launch of the NZCB Apprentice Network; online campaigns, collateral and communications. • ● Revere Volume 8; submissions open with articles and photographs being compiled and put together, ready for final stages of proofing. • ● Certified Plans; further market research undertaken to improve the product. • ● Toolshed Online Shop revamp; improvements being investigated, new products being sourced, and all including a new look being implemented. • ● Strategic Partnership; renewals and growth plan development. • ● NZCB Toolshed improvements; new online membership applications, planning, assistance, and execution. Additional sections added with typical information and tools for members. • ● InHouse Magazine; preparation and planning of, content sourced, articles collated for this issue then proofed and finalised for print and distribution.

• ● Assisting with the re-scope and rebuild of a new database. • ● Affinity Partnerships; renewals and retention, with one new partnership just about signed up. • ● Strategic Partnerships; renewals and retention, two new partnerships in the pipeline. • ● National Partnerships; renewals and retention, three new partners signed up: Rave Build, Green Light Escrow, Enveloped Solutions. • ● Support of Territory Managers for new NZCB Presidents with events and communications. • ● NZCB public facing website; research completed, new wire framing started and SEO implemented. New design approved, content being worked on, and currently being built. • ● NZCB Building Contracts; updated on the Toolshed, tested and launched with additional communications of the new changes. • ● NZCB Employment Contracts being reviewed. • ● Welcome, introduction, assistance, and training to our newest team member Sophie Cleal.

Apprenticeship Support Team Manager Nick Matthews | 021 906 483 | nick@nzcb.nz • Delivered the NZCB Train the Trainer pilot in Auckland during August and September, in conjunction with Vertical Horizonz New Zealand. • Attended the Te Pūkenga Carpentry Hui – Tutors Conference and presented the NZCB Apprentice Network to conference delegates and industry sponsors in Christchurch at Ara Institute of Canterbury. • Attended the ConCOVE Tūhura – Reimagine. An event to refine vocational education and apprenticeship training, held at the Christchurch Town Hall. • Attended a NZCB workshop for Business members to develop the Business 101 education package. • Attended NZCB Build Nelson alongside NZCB Territory Manager South Island Nick Mooney to promote NZCB Apprentice Network. • Hosted the Auckland and Christchurch launch of the NZCB Apprentice Network. • Attended the Bay of Island’s NZCB Charity Golf Day, supporting the NZCB Apprentice Trust. • Chaired an online trustee meeting of the NZCB Apprentice Trust. • Early planning and re-development of the NZCB Mentoring programme ‘Rusty Hammers’.

NZCB 2024 diaries All New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Individual and Business members are entitled to ‘one’ free diary per year. Diaries are available in two sizes: A4 (297mm x 210mm) and A5 (148mm x 210mm). To receive a diary you must place an order, through the NZCB members-only Toolshed. Simply log on to Toolshed, scroll to the bottom of the menu on the left-hand side and select ‘ORDER 2024 DIARY’ www.nzcb.nz/members/diary/.

Double check all your details are correct, select the size you require and press the ‘Submit’ button. If your postal address is different to what appears on the form, please contact the NZCB National Support Office: 0800 237 843 or info@nzcb.nz, so it can be updated to ensure your diary is sent to the correct address. 9

NZCB NEWS

Halo Guarantee Application now online The Halo 10-Year Residential Guarantee application process has moved online. If you are using a hard copy New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Building Contract or non-NZCB contracts, the PDF manual application form will no longer be used. Instead, you will find a link to an online form on the NZCB members-only Toolshed.

To help members with completing the new online forms, we have created instructional videos for single unit projects and a multi-unit applications. The new web form has the ability to handle multi-unit developments under a single application, unlike the current process of a separate application for each self-contained unit. Note that once accepted, each unit will still receive a separate Guarantee.

If you complete an online NZCB Building Contract on the NZCB members-only Toolshed, a separate link will be sent to you (the Builder) to complete an online Guarantee application. This application will come pre-filled with the relevant details from the building contract and you will have the option to attach the signed contract and supporting documents.

A link to the new online form and our instructional videos can be found under the Halo Guarantee section of the NZCB members-only Toolshed www.nzcb.nz/members/halo/ If you have any questions or issues with the new process, our team is here to help. Please feel free to reach out to us at 0800 141 490 or hello@halo.nz and we will guide you through it.

The change allows the Builder to apply for a Halo Guarantee when the project details are finalised and the building contract is signed. The link to the application web form does not expire and can be completed at any time prior to works commencing on-site. You will receive an automated monthly follow-up for six months from the date you receive the email. If the project is not proceeding, or the client doesn’t require the Guarantee, please let us know and we will stop the follow-ups. If the Guarantee is required, we recommend submitting the application as close as possible to the contract commencement date.

David Lee Halo Guarantees Limited Chief Executive

Tools down team… it’s time for a break The New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) National Support Office (NSO) will be closed from Friday, 22nd December 2023, for the holiday period, and we will reopen at 8:00 am on Monday, 8th January 2024. Online Contacts The online Building Contracts and Employment Agreements will remain accessible on the NZCB members-only Toolshed for you to complete during the holiday period. You will need to make a credit card payment before purchasing them, and a paid invoice will be emailed to you in late January 2024. Following the usual procedure, once your contract has been paid for, it will be stored in the ‘My Contracts’ section, allowing you to download it.

This will allow us sufficient time to process, order if needed, and arrange postage. Orders placed after this date may not be processed until late January 2024.

Online shop The online shop will remain open during the holiday period. However, please be aware that orders placed between Sunday, 17th December 2023, and Monday, 8th January 2024, will not be processed until late January 2024. This includes hard copy contracts.

Fisher & Paykel, stationery, and clothing orders Please ensure that your: • Fisher & Paykel and stationery orders are submitted by 4:00pm on Tuesday, 19th December 2023.

The NZCB NSO would like to wish you and your families a safe, happy and relaxing holiday season. We look forward to working with you all again in 2024!

• Any clothing orders are placed by Friday, 1st December 2023.

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Let’s partner together.

NZCB NEWS

NZCB homeowner advertising campaign September 2023 activity results Below you will find an update on the performance of the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Advertising Levy budget. This digital report highlights our Google Adverts, Facebook, Instagram, and Programmatic Spending for September 2023.

14,941

1m 33sec

2,407,319

320k

NZCB website visitors/users

average time spent on website +10% MOM

total page impressions delivered to homeowners

social media reach

–19% MOM

+1% MOM

–18% MOM

13% of all website visitors are converting

4,777

1,234

1,151

‘Find a Builder’ search conversions +6% MOM

emails sent to Members from website

homeowner requests for builder’s phone number –13% MOM (GA4)

NZCB Membership enquiries –17% MOM

+168% MOM

59.5k

1,207

12.28%

15,141

NZCB video thru-plays on social

social engagements across all campaigns (likes, comments, shares, post saves)

Google advertising homeowner clicks

overall digital advertising link clicks

+0.46% MOM

+2% MOM

–20% MOM

MOM = Month on Month. The comparison of data from one month to the previous month.

Summary Overall, it was a steady month despite sessions being down across all traffic sources, including organic. The build-up to the New Zealand election saw overall consumer spending trending down in the months prior. Homeowner enquiries via phone and email have been steady over the last month.

• General Enquiries +13% MOM • Send Email conversion +168% MOM – however please note a jump in send email conversions this month, originating in Pakistan is attributed to spam mail. Membership Recruitment Google Ads – CTR improved by 20%.

We did see conversion metrics increase MOM: • Average Session Duration +10% MOM • Builder Search Conversions +6% MOM

Karla Farrar NZCB Marketing & Services Manager 12

NZCB NEWS

Halo Guarantees Ltd CE to take up new role The Halo Guarantees Limited Board, with regret, recently accepted the resignation of Halo Guarantees Limited (HGL) Chief Executive, David Lee. While we are saddened by his departure, we understand the reasons behind it. As a father of two young boys, and with his wife and family now settled in the Wairarapa, commuting back and forth to Tauranga has proven less than ideal for David, contrary to his original plans.

David joined the HGL team in August 2022 during a pivotal period for the company. His extensive experience in insurance and financial services made him an ideal fit for a startup guarantees business. These qualities played a crucial role in establishing the company on a solid and sustainable foundation.

The HGL Board has initiated the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive. David will actively support the Board to ensure that HGL continues to benefit from the leadership skills and experience necessary for sustained growth and development. The Board is also committed to ensuring that suitable coverage is in place in case David’s replacement is not in the position before his departure.

During his tenure with HGL, David also took the initiative to rejuvenate its product offerings and enhance the claims management process.

We extend our best wishes to David in his new role and for his future endeavours. He will be greatly missed.

David has informed the HGL Board that he has accepted a position in the insurance industry, based in Wellington. He will conclude his role as Chief Executive of HGL at the end of this year and commence his new position in January 2024.

Roger Taylor Halo Guarantees Limited Board Chairperson

Employment resources on the members-only Toolshed We understand that our members often have questions, concerns, and require additional assistance regarding employment matters. That’s why we’ve expanded the Employment Contracts section on the NZCB membersonly Toolshed to include two new sections. These new sections are named Employment Agreement Templates and Employment FAQs. Employment Agreement Templates section This section contains a collection of employment-related templates, checklists, and guides designed to assist you in various employment aspects. Whether you need interview questions, letters, guides on holiday entitlements, leave forms, bullying support, termination procedures, or other essential documents, our templates can help streamline the process and ensure you meet the necessary legal requirements.

you can obtain expert guidance. If you have a question, chances are it’s been answered here. Browse through our comprehensive list to find solutions to your concerns. Need further assistance? Sometimes, employment matters can be complex and require specialist advice or further information. If you have specific employment questions or need additional guidance, please feel free to contact Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers at 0800 354 821 for a free 15-minute consultation. Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers operate our free NZCB Employment Helpline.

Employment FAQs section Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section has been created from some of the common questions we often receive at the National Support Office. It serves as a valuable resource for finding answers to typical employment-related queries. You will also find links to external websites and support services where

If you have any suggestions for additional resources or topics you’d like to see covered in this section, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the National Support Office at 0800 237 843 or via email at info@nzcb.nz. 13

NZCB NEWS

Welcome Green Light Escrow New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) are delighted to welcome and introduce you to our newest National Partner, Green Light Escrow! Read on to discover more about what they can do for you as a member of NZCB. Made by tradies for tradies

How we can serve NZCB builders

Green Light Escrow is a New Zealand-based online escrow software service that helps Tradies and their clients protect their financial interests. We provide a safe and secure way to hold deposits and drawdowns, ensuring that builders are paid on time and in full for their work, and that clients have peace of mind knowing that their funds are protected.

We understand the unique challenges that builders face, and we are committed to providing them with the services and support they need to succeed. Here are just a few of the ways that we can serve NZCB builders:

No subscription. No sign up fees. Only pay when you get paid.

How it works

• A good solution for builders – To ensure you are protected right through the building project is to take an upfront deposit before work starts and hold it until the end of the job and deducting it off the final invoice. We recommend a 20% deposit but any size deposit is better than none.

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• Hold deposits securely – We can hold deposits for the duration of the job, ensuring that builders are paid on time and in full.

• Secure drawdowns – We can also help builders secure all other drawdowns, providing them with the cash flow they need to complete their projects. • Protect builders and clients – Our escrow service protects both builders and clients, ensuring that both parties have peace of mind and can focus on what they do best.

Lock in the job, and your payments and we will legally safeguard your hard-earned money by holding your payments – in escrow – until the job is complete. Its simple:

Holding deposits and drawdowns is a great way to protect both builders and clients. It ensures that builders have the cash flow they need to complete their projects, and it gives clients peace of mind knowing that their funds are safe.

• Both parties agree on the cost of a project. • The client deposits the payment with Green Light Escrow.

• You (the builder) complete the job.

If you are a NZCB builder and you are interested in learning more about how Green Light Escrow can help you, please contact us today at info@greenlightescrow.co.nz or 020 4117 2644 or check out our website www.greenlightescrow.co.nz. We would be happy to answer your questions and discuss your specific needs.

• The client approves of the finished work. .• Green Light Escrow releases the payment to you (the builder). Job done!

A full list of NZCB National Partners can be found on page 81 of this issue of InHouse or on the members-only Toolshed under Our Partners www.nzcb.nz/about-nzcb/#nzcb-partners. 14

NZCB NEWS

A trio of excellence: celebrating 20 years of service Today, we celebrate a combined milestone of 20 years of dedicated service from three outstanding individuals. They are; Marketing and Membership Services Manager Karla Farrar, and Territory Manager Auckland/ Northland Andrew McDonald, who have each contributed five years of their expertise, and Revere Magazine Editor and Project Coordinator Julie Thomas, who is celebrating a remarkable tenure of 10 years at the New Zealand Certified Builder (NZCB) National Support Office (NSO). Join us as we look at their contributions and accomplishments and congratulate them for their efforts. A decade of dedication for Julie Thomas

Over the years, Julie’s responsibilities have expanded to include the coordination and processing of applications, meetings, and inquiries for our previous apprentice support programmes, Industry Training Association Building (ITAB), and Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST Trust). Julie has been a friendly and knowledgeable resource for many parents and apprentices seeking advice and support.

We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Julie for her remarkable 10 years of service with NZCB! Julie has played a pivotal role in the NZCB Marketing Team, driving numerous successful projects for the Association. Her journey began in October 2013 with a temporary contract, and by December of the same year she had become an invaluable permanent member of the NSO team. With a background in design within the building industry, and expertise in account and project management in the print industry, Julie’s contributions to our organisation have been nothing short of outstanding. Throughout her decade at NZCB, Julie’s unwavering commitment and passion have consistently exceeded expectations. Julie’s involvement has been instrumental in the inception of several of our unique offerings. She has been a driving force in coordinating, planning, developing, and implementing initiatives such as Certified Plans, Revere magazine, and Building Insites.

Julie is also deeply involved in the NZCB Annual Conference & Expo, where she is the friendly face representing the Association at the NZCB exhibition stand. Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting her in person and building rapport with her at this fantastic annual event.

Certified Plans, launched to members in 2014, was one of Julie’s initial projects. It involved providing Business members of the Association with an architecturally-designed range of house plans to offer their clients. Julie continues to work with a NZCB member working group to enhance this service.

Additionally, Julie has played a crucial role in gathering and curating all media content for our records. She now extends her talents to assist in crafting our monthly NZCB homeownerfacing blogs, which are prominently featured on our social media platforms and the NZCB homeowner website.

Julie has also taken on the role of Editor of our exclusive, members-only celebratory magazine, Revere, which made its debut in 2018. Her meticulous attention to detail, strong work ethic, and exceptional proofreading skills have consistently enhanced the publication’s quality. With over 10,000 copies distributed nationwide to our target market, homeowners, Revere has proven to be an outstanding sales tool, consistently exceeding expectations. Julie is currently working on the eighth issue of Revere.

As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we not only recognise Julie’s professional achievements and dedication to the Association but also the incredible person she is. Her warm and friendly nature has endeared her to the NSO team, making her an integral and beloved member.

Although no longer an active programme, from 2016 to 2018 a number of builders took part in Building Insites, a joint partnership between NZCB and the Building Research Association New Zealand (BRANZ). An initiative aimed at educating and enhancing the skills of busy builders through on-site Build Quality Training Sessions, events took place in Auckland, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty.

On behalf of the entire team at New Zealand Certified Builders, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Julie on her remarkable 10-year journey. We eagerly anticipate many more years of your invaluable contributions and unwavering dedication. Karla Farrar NZCB Marketing & Services Manager

Andrew Macdonald – Five years

Karla Farrar – Five years

This is a true reflection of how time flies. It feels like only yesterday Andrew walked through the NSO front doors as our new Auckland Business Development Manager (BDM). It’s incredible how much value Andrew has brought to the growth and success of the Association in the last five years.

We welcomed Karla to NZCB in December 2018 as our Communications and Group Services Manager. Her role included communications, member services, and NZCB brand development. In the following years, Karla’s role became broader to reflect her capability and reputation for getting things done. This included sponsorship relations and event management. On the former, developing strong relationships with NZCB’s partners and sponsors has been key to the Association’s recent growth, while on the latter, Karla made recent NZCB Conferences ‘her own’.

Andrew joined the NSO team in December 2018, bringing with him an extensive amount of experience in sales and business management. I recall a request from then Chief Executive, Grant Florence, that “the right person for this Auckland BDM role is a sales hunter who will chase down every lead” and boy did you get that in Andrew.

Karla provides the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) with valuable insights into the membership DNA. In the past year, as the NZCB business and the ELT have grown, Karla has focused her talents and energies on the continuation of the member services work she has overseen since 2018. She has excelled in her sponsor relationships and expertly managed NZCB marketing (which aligns with her professional qualifications). The recent NZCB 25th anniversary video and upcoming 2024 NZCB marketing campaign showcases Karla’s marketing flair well. Both are examples of great storytelling that elevates the NZCB brand and defines the Association’s direction of travel.

Andrew’s primary role for the Auckland BDM was membership acquisition, as there was a huge influx of builders in the Auckland region. So, the task given to Andrew was to increase NZCB’s Auckland membership base. I can honestly say from the moment Andrew began, right up until now, he has continued to hunt down every lead given to him. In the middle of 2022, as we began restructuring NSO, Andrew’s role evolved into a Territory Manager, and he now covers the Auckland Region, Northland Region, and Bay of Island Region. In his new role, Andrew not only drives membership acquisition through all three regions but also offers support to all three regions and the members in them. Andrew welcomed his new role with excitement and I have seen huge growth in Andrew’s development and knowledge of the Association.

Karla is a creative mind with a strong work ethic who can take a good amount of credit for NZCB’s recent successes, as well as how those successes are communicated to Members and the public. Congratulations to Karla on the five-year milestone with NZCB, we look forward to her guiding this exciting next stage of NZCB’s brand evolution.

Andrew’s welcoming and engaging personality serves as an asset in his role. His positive attitude invites anyone into a conversation with him. Sailing and sport are Andrew’s interests, and the offer to go out on his boat is always there.

Malcolm Fleming NZCB Chief Executive

It has been a true privilege working alongside and with Andrew for the past five years. I am looking forward to the next five years and what that will bring. Congratulations Andrew for hitting this milestone of five years of service! Ngā mihi Shane Ririnui NZCB Membership & Technical Manager

INDUSTRY NEWS

TANZ supporting the New Zealand construction industry The two most expensive areas within a home per square metre are the kitchen and bathroom, and as many homes now have more than one bathroom, constructing a wet area in a way that will meet long-term performance is vital to maintaining healthy client/builder relationships and saving you time and money in costly repairs.

These types of failures ultimately cost the builder in time and money but also affects their reputation, which sometimes cannot be quantified.

The bathroom is designed for functionality, practicality, and beauty, but it’s also one of the most common headaches for the homeowner and builder. Why? The bathroom is exposed to moisture almost every day of the year, more than any other area of the property.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) considers the best option under the Occupational Regulation Reforms is introducing internal waterproofing to the Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) regime. The consultation document can be viewed at www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/26189occupational-regulation-reforms-in-the-building-andconstruction-sector-consultation-document.

Now, we know that in the early 2000s, the leaky building syndrome was recognised in New Zealand construction as a major issue, and building practices were changed to improve the performance of the envelope of the property. As it does not rain every day, the outside envelope may see no more moisture than the bathroom, which is used every day by the household occupants. Yet, the New Zealand Building industry has been slow to recognise the common issues with wet area construction inside the home.

Raise your knowledge and skills in the Tiling industry

The Tile Association of New Zealand (TANZ) has conducted research over the past six years as to understand why bathrooms leak and has noted the high cost of fixing the failures.

The TANZ Tile Education Adhesives and Membranes (T.E.A.M) training course is designed to help New Zealand Certified Builder members and their Tilers achieve best practice and all are encouraged to attend. You can find out more about the training at www.youtube/1kTX4fFjrvA or to book a seat at upcoming training events, visit www.tanz.net.nz/events.

We observe common failures, which include water damage of acrylic showers with capillary action and damage around the base/liner junction. This can be due to framing that is out of square or plumb and incorrect installation of the liner. We have also seen water migration in tiled showers due to incorrect tile installation or a lack of water-stops being installed at the membrane stage. This results in sub-tile moisture tracking outside wet areas and ingressing into the property causing damage.

Tile Association of New Zealand (TANZ). TANZ is focused on wet area construction in the New Zealand construction sector. Our industry is largely responsible for internal membrane application for bathrooms and showers, in where applicators follow best practice guidelines, standards and technical information to comply with E3 of the NZBC. www.tanz.net.nz or 0800 TILENZ.

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Please visit thermalheartplus.co.nz for all statistics and technical references. All ThermalHEART® ranges are rolling out nationwide through 2023. Discuss availability with your manufacturer.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

New building product information requirements The Building (Building Product Information Requirements) Regulations 2022 commence on 11 December 2023, following an 18-month transition period for the sector to prepare to comply with these changes. The changes have been made to provide building product users with information about how building products contribute to compliance with the Building Code. They place obligations on Aotearoa/New Zealand-based manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, retailers, and distributors.

You should expect to see a reduction in the need to replace or remedy products that fail, provided installation is carried out according to the installation instructions provided. You may also see a reduction in labour costs relating to fixing or reinstalling products that were not installed correctly in the first instance.

Even though New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) members will not have any new responsibilities under the new regulations, it’s important that you understand the principles and the benefits you can expect to see from improved and more consistent building product information.

Better product information is expected to result in fewer building defects, less building rework, more efficient consenting, and safer and more durable buildings. Key details • The regulations only apply to designated building products that are manufactured in or imported into Aotearoa/New Zealand on or after 11 December 2023. The regulations will not be applied retrospectively. • The regulations provide for two classes of products and the specific information requirements for each class. • A list of the specific information that must be provided is contained in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the regulations. • The regulations only apply to new building products that, when used in building work, may affect whether the building work complies with the Building Code. • Information must be published and maintained by manufacturers and suppliers on an internet site that is publicly available. • A person cannot supply, in trade, a designated building product in New Zealand that does not have product information that meets regulatory requirements. • Each manufacturer or importer of a product must ensure that the required product information is kept up to date on the relevant Internet site from which the information is available to members of the public.

At present, technical product information about building products can be poorly compiled and not address important issues such as how a product should be used, installed and maintained. The regulations will require a minimum level of information about building products to be made freely and publicly available. This will help designers, builders and consumers to choose the right products for the right building work and install them in the correct way. It will also help building consent authorities with moreefficient consenting as they will have the right information readily available to check that products in plans and specifications meet their applicable Building Code performance requirements. Aotearoa/New Zealand based manufacturers and importers will need to make particular information about the building products they supply to the Aotearoa/New Zealand market publicly available, and they must be able to provide evidence for any claims they make about their products. Aotearoa/New Zealandbased distributors and retailers will need to check that the product information for designated products they supply complies with the new minimum information requirements and that the information is available to their customers.

Use the QR Code below to access guidance and other information published by MBIE.

You should confirm that all building products used meet the minimum product information requirements and that you are installing products according to instructions given in the product information. This is particularly important when dealing with products you might not be familiar with. Information about the product must be available online with a link to the relevant website provided on or with each product. If you find deficiencies in the product information, then we encourage you to raise your concerns with the relevant product manufacturer or importer. If your concerns are not resolved, please notify the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). This information is important to help MBIE assess the impact of the legislative reforms, as well as ensure enforcement action can be taken where appropriate. You can contact MBIE at products@mbie.govt.nz

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. MBIE is the central regulator of New Zealand’s building system. Our Building System Performance (BSP) branch provides policy and technical advice on New Zealand’s building system, rules and standards, and implements building legislation and regulations to meet New Zealand’s current and future needs. Find out more at www.building.govt.nz

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INDUSTRY NEWS

One in two construction workers verbally abused at work A study of psychosocial hazards in New Zealand construction businesses has revealed that workers are frequently abused and threatened; and that health and safety leaders are facing huge challenges. The study collected over 30,000 data points from construction businesses around the country and was led by Dr Steve Cantwell of safety software company SaferMe. The work was co-funded by ACC via its Workplace Injury Prevention innovation programme and supported by Construction Health & Safety NZ (CHASNZ) and Civil Contractors NZ.

Safety Snap is an evidence-based tool that helps a business understand the psychosocial challenges affecting staff on their worksites in less than one minute per week.

Among the set of six key findings published today:

Key Statistics

• Verbal abuse and physical threats are common • One in four workers avoid reporting injuries

53% of workers reported being verbally abused at work

• Health & Safety leaders suffer low levels of support, more workplace bullying and poor role clarity. SaferMe’s report follows on from the publication of the Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum’s State of a Thriving Nation report last week, which showed New Zealand’s workplace death rate is double Australia’s, with deaths and injuries costing the country $4.4 billion per year.

33% of workers reported being threatened with violence Increasing job satisfaction, peer support and role clarity all have a positive impact on accident/injury risk

“Psychosocial hazards increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries; as well as making workers more likely to be absent or to leave a business. It’s certainly contributing to our abysmal statistics as a nation, and more needs to be done to understand and address psychosocial hazards,” SaferMe founder and Chief Executive Officer Clint van Marrewijk said.

One in four workers admitted to not reporting an injury

“Our team led by Dr Cantwell has taken a very thorough process to examine these challenges in construction and other sectors, and we’re now helping businesses to measure these problems and fix them, “ van Marrewijk said. CHASNZ Chief Executive Officer Chris Alderson said the study could help shape a better future for construction work: “Robust evidence-based studies such as that undertaken by Dr Cantwell and SaferMe provide the construction industry with valuable insight into how to create a better future for our construction workforce. There are instant and implementable takeaways for construction businesses around the value of fostering collaborative and supportive workplaces as well as reducing known psychosocial risk factors.”

Find out more More information on Safety Snap is available at www.safer.me/features/safety-snap/ Our Key Findings document can be viewed at https://www.safer.me/blog/press-release-psychosocialhazards-in-the-construction-industry/

SaferMe is now focused on helping further industries and individual businesses to measure and address psychosocial hazards in their workplace with its Safety Snap tool, developed with co-funding from ACC.

SaferMe is a Wellington-headquartered safety software company that works with hundreds of small businesses in New Zealand’s trades providing an easy to use, quick to set up app for health and safety reporting. The Safety Snap Psychosocial Risk tool is a new standalone service SaferMe provides to help businesses manage psychosocial hazards. www.safer.me

INDUSTRY NEWS

Securing the future of steelmaking in New Zealand We are proud to announce that New Zealand’s biggest ever emissions reduction project hit a milestone in September, entering its execution phase. This means our sister business, New Zealand Steel, are now on track to have lower carbon steel being produced as soon as 2026. All of Pacific Steel’s raw billet feed is supplied by New Zealand Steel, so this signals a progression in our own sustainability journey for reinforcing and wire products.

New Zealand steel’s Electric Arc Furnace In May, New Zealand Steel shared a landmark announcement – a project and partnership with the Government to co-fund the installation of an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. When announced in May, they said the project & co-funding by the Government was subject to confirming several critical aspects of the project. That’s now complete and we are excited to share, that they are now moving to the execution phase and starting to work on establishing this new lower carbon way of making steel.

The EAF will see New Zealand Steel cut its emissions by more than 45 per cent, an emissions reduction equivalent to keeping approximately 300,000 cars off the road. Pacific Steel and New Zealand Steel have both been a part of the community for close to 60 years and this co-investment secures steelmaking in New Zealand for many years to come, sustaining our critical domestic steel supply into the low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

Want to know more? You can watch the short video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VujbW8GYdQg.

Pacific Steel. Pacific Steel is a NZCB National Partner and has been locally manufacturing reinforcing steel for over 60 years. www.pacificsteel.co.nz

Foundation Passport Building Construction and Civil (VR) Site Safe now offers for the first time a fully immersive virtual reality (VR) foundational health and safety training experience for the construction industry. Gain an immersive learning experience with a course endorsed by industry. Learn health and safety in an engaging format. Learning made possible within a 1.5-hour session. Practice how to be safe onsite and interact in a simulated environment. For more information on how you may learn on the job through practical application, go to:

News Bites

NEWS BITES

The latest in insulation Bradford’s FBS-1 Glasswool biosoluble insulation is designed to exceed New Zealand’s H1 Energy Efficiency standards for roofs, ceilings, walls and floors. Bradford CSR is an Asthma & Respiratory Foundation New Zealand Sensitive Choice Partner. With the most comprehensive warranty in the market (70 years) you can trust Bradford to help make homes comfortable and quiet, year-round.

The CSR family welcomes two new products to the Bradford Insulation range. The R7.3 450mm and Bradford Optimo R3.2 have arrived and ready to be ordered, offering exceptional ways to enhance energy efficiency and comfort in the homes you construct. Bradford Gold R7.3 stands out with its impressive R-value of 7.3, making it the premium choice for those aiming for top-tier thermal performance, while the Bradford Optimo Underfloor R3.2 provides efficient thermal protection.

Visit www.bradfordinsulation.co.nz for more information.

YourQS announces the release of their BIM2YourQS plug-ins This latest innovation brings an efficient Building Information Modelling workflow to residential construction. Nick Clements from YourQS said “these plug-ins” will allow us to use the designer’s 3D model instead of having to recreate it over the PDF as we are doing currently. This will further improve our accuracy. We have plug-ins available for the two leading design tools, Revit and ArchiCAD. To find our more visit www.yourqs.co.nz/bim2yourqs

Yale launches innovative window control system Tailored to suit any home layout, Yale’s innovative Aeron window control system offers the perfect solution for every household. Whether using the handheld remote or the Yale Home App, Aeron grants fingertip control over your home’s airflow.

Easily adjust hard-to-reach high windows to various positions – open, partially open, in a venting mode, or fully closed – all at once as you leave. The flexibility extends to grouping windows, like the kitchen, hallway,

and bedroom, putting ultimate control in your hands. Boosting convenience, the user-friendly remote and Yale Home App now feature an advanced rain sensor, automatically closing windows after detecting rain. You can customise rain sensors for specific window groups, programmed to either vent or shut, without the need for the app or remote control. Yale’s Aeron system represents the forefront of window actuator technology, seamlessly integrating into the Yale Home App ecosystem for a smarter home experience. For more information visit www.yalehome.com/nz/en/aeron

Let’s get more clients to your website! We’re your go-to copywriters and SEO experts, crafting web content that reflects your business and engages your audience. As early adopters of AI, we are blending this technology with our expertise to offer you high-quality content for less. With over 20 years of experience, we write for businesses big and small across New Zealand (and beyond!). For 10+ years, we’ve written for the construction industry, including New Zealand Certified Builders. Website need a makeover? Want to rank better on Google? Start with an SEO audit and keyword research followed by fresh, professional content that will attract new clients. Let’s talk! Sarah Bunker – 022 037 4700 – sarah@awaywithwords.co.nz

Dare to go dark – with Resene Blackest Black New Resene Blackest Black is Resene’s darkest colour yet, made using super fine black pigments for the ultimate in blackness. Resene Blackest Black is available in durable Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and is ideal for interior features and media rooms. Colour theory is an amazing thing, full of brain-twisting facts. For example, we talk a lot about the effects that light has on colour, but colour itself is reflected light. And since the colours we see are actually missing the light waves of the hue we think we’re looking at, this also means that what we collectively call ‘black’ is actually the absence of all colours.

Resene Group Technical Manager, Mike Clowes, says a paint colour can only be classified as black if it reflects less than 1% of incident light. Recently, he and his team formulated an even blacker black than Resene Black. “Blackness and light reflection are inversely proportional. The lesser the light reflection from an object, the blacker it is,” explains Mike. “Since black pigment is the key component of a black paint colour, a range of parameters such as its particle size, concentration, surface functionalities and stabilisation influence the jetness of the black colour it generates. For more information, visit www.resene.co.nz/blackestblack

Grand opening of Harvey Norman Commercial Showroom in Auckland Picture this: a single destination where innovation meets practicality, and style merges seamlessly with technology. Your dream business space is now a reality at our newly upgraded commercial showroom in Auckland! Explore a world of possibilities, from cutting-edge kitchen and laundry appliances to state-of-the-art TV and Audio Solutions. But that’s not all – we’ve expanded our offerings

to include exquisite furniture and bedding for both residential and commercial spaces. Why settle for the ordinary when you can elevate your business to extraordinary heights? Let us be your Solution Partner for all your needs – whether it’s Office or House Fitouts, Show Homes, Staging, or Development Turnkey Solutions, we’ve got you covered. Embark on a personalised tour today and witness the future of business transformation.

Experience first-hand the brilliance of our products and services, meticulously designed to meet your every requirement. Book your visit now and unlock the full potential of your business with us. Harvey Norman Commercial – where innovation and excellence converge. Your success story starts here. For more information call us on 09 440 6417, email commercial@nz.harveynorman.com or check out our website www.hnc.co.nz.

SUSTAINABILITY

Comfortech® H1 FAQs To support the industry in successfully meeting today’s challenges, including the new H1 Building Code changes, Comfortech® developed a range of H1 solutions, including a new product range, Pink® Superbatts® insulation. Below are the answers to some common questions about the H1 insulation changes. Why does Comfortech® recommend notching? The decision to promote notching as the preferred installation methodology has been endorsed by industry experts as the best way to ensure the in-situ performance reflects the modelling. It also relies less on a complicated installation methodology to ensure adequate recovery of the insulation.

Is a raised heel at the roof edge necessary? No. Initially it was expected, with the height of insulation now required and the need to maintain a 25mm air gap under the roof underlay, that all new houses would require a raised heel. However, a raised heel has significant cost and height in relation to boundary implications. Comfortech® has developed an Edge Compression Calculator to demonstrate how Pink®Superbatts® insulation, under compression and in conjunction with an insulation guard, could meet the requirements and avoid a raised heel. Subsequently, BRANZ has also launched their calculator, which demonstrates the same.

What are Comfortech’s solutions to the H1 insulation changes? The new Pink® Superbatts® insulation products are specifically designed to meet the new H1 requirements and are extra wide to bridge thermal gaps and maximise thermal performance.

How do the H1 changes impact insulation installation?

Single-layer solution: For residential ceilings, a single layer of Pink® Superbatts® R7.0 at the new width of 460mm can be installed. Segments should be notched and fitted between the truss chord to seal the thermal bridge.

The single-layer solution is the quicker of the two solutions to install, although it does require time on-site cutting. From trials with the PinkFit® insulation installation network, it will take 30% longer to install compared to the old R3.6 single layer and more of the product is required – as R-values have doubled. The doublelayer solution involves further labour to install, likely twice that of a single-layer solution.

Double-layer solution: Comfortech’s two-layer solution uses a first layer of high-density Pink®Superbatts® insulation that is the combined height of the truss chord and the gap to the top of the ceiling batten. This layer would be 110mm for a 90mm truss chord and an R-value of R2.6 or 160mm for a 140mm truss chord and R3.0.

Are there new requirements for walls? There are few changes to the R-value of walls under the new H1 requirements. However, a recent industry survey revealed significantly higher than assumed wall framing ratios, meaning to achieve the new H1 R2.0 construction R-value requirement, an R2.2 or R2.4 is no longer adequate. The industry is fast responding with an increase in the specification and installation of R2.6 and R2.8 wall insulation, where the higher R-value will offset the thermal bridging and bring the wall performance closer to the code requirement.

The second layer is our new Pink® Superbatts®, over-width 460mm wide R4.5. Installed at right angles to the first layer, with this method, the thermal bridge is completely closed. A lower R-value second layer can be selected where another compliance pathway method has been chosen.

Can I install two layers of R3.6 insulation to meet the new code?

H1 Done. We’ve got your insulation solutions covered, learn more at: www.h1done.co.nz

You can install a double-layer of R3.6 insulation. However, industry experts have expressed concerns that the second layer will compress the first layer, further reducing its R-value, and with the first layer sitting above the top of the truss chords, there is an open path for airflow over the joist, again reducing the thermal performance.

Comfortech® Building Performance Solutions. Comfortech® is a NZCB National Partner Premium and a business that engineers solutions for comfort, climate, and protection. With their dedicated local sales team, technical expertise and 100-year history in the building industry, Comfortech® can achieve their goals of creating New Zealand’s most comfortable living and working spaces. Learn more at www.comfortech.co.nz.

We’ve got super H1 insulation solutions in the bag with our new Pink® Superbatts® range. With Comfortech® you can be conﬁdent that we have your H1 insulation solutions covered. Our new Pink® Superbatts® range are extra wide to reduce thermal bridging. Developed in partnership with local industry and install network, our Pink® Superbatts® range have been tried and tested right here in New Zealand. To ﬁnd out more about our range of H1 insulation solutions visit H1done.co.nz

* Our Pink® Superbatts® are at least 25mm wider than our standard Pink® Batts® ceiling range.

SUSTAINABILITY

Healthy plasterboard, healthy homes and a healthy environment Winstone Wallboards has made some big steps forward over the last 15 years to ensure as an organisation, we make better use of our existing materials to reduce, reuse and recycle where we can. Ultimately, we’re focused on contributing positively towards the creation of healthier homes in New Zealand as well as reducing our impact on the environment. Making the most of how we make our products

Winstone Wallboards received GreenTag Level A Certification for six of our products, including GIB® Standard, GIB Fyreline® and GIB Noiseline®, and Level C Certification for GIB Ultraline®, GIB X-Block® products. This is thanks to huge efforts across the entire Winstone Wallboards team to ensure our products continue to meet high standards of environmental performance.

We look at every part of the manufacturing process to see what can be done to make our products have less impact on the environment, from controlling water discharge that includes suspended solids to removing the need to use solvents containing halogenated hydrocarbons. The wide range of GIB® plasterboard lengths and widths that a readily available helps to reduce wastage. We’ve also introduced initiatives like our GIB® cut-to-length service (minimum order quantity and lead times apply) to reduce the amount of waste that could potentially end up in landfill. These services allows builders to order the most efficient lengths and reduces the finishing time – a win-win for everyone.

Getting gypsum back to basics Plasterboard is comprised mostly of naturally occurring gypsum, which is blended with 100% recycled paper and small quantities of other ingredients. Gypsum is infinitely recyclable and converting it back into plasterboard as well gypsum products like compost not only enriches New Zealand soils, but acts as a super growth booster for fruit such as avocados.

Our GIB Aqualine®, GIB Weatherline®, GIB Barrierline®, GIB Toughline® and GIB Toughline® Aqua products also hold GECA (Good Environmental Choice Australia) Ecolabel certification, which is a recognised multi-sector ecolabelling program across New Zealand and Australia that supports significant improvement in the sustainability of products.

As well as recycling our plasterboard manufacturing waste into composting materials, our Tauranga manufacturing plant will also have an on-site recycling facility which will enable GIB® plasterboard to include a portion of recycled gypsum, with the expectation that this will grow over time.

The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for GIB® plasterboard has also recently been updated and renewed. The EPD quantifies the environmental performance of GIB® plasterboard including its carbon footprint, embodied energy and other environmental data.

In 2019, we introduced on-site plasterboard recycling services in the Auckland region in partnership with Green Gorilla, which now recycles around four million kilogrammes of plasterboard from building sites each year.

We’re well on our way to not only significantly reducing our own environmental impact but also helping the sector work more efficiently by repurposing and reusing waste construction plasterboard, which is not only good for our environment, but good for New Zealand homes too.

Partnerships have also been expanded into other part of New Zealand too, and plasterboard recycling services are now available in the Waikato, Nelson, Christchurch and Central Otago regions with hopes of more operators coming on board in the future.

Want to know more?

Environmental performance Global GreenTag is one of the world’s most robust, trusted and widely recognised certification programmes, with products tested against sustainability criteria like greenhouse gas emissions, health and ecotoxicity as well as analysis on the lifecycle of a product.

Find out more about Winstone Wallboards approach to sustainability and the environmental performance of our products at www.gib.co.nz/about-winstone-wallboards/aboutsustainability/ John Jamison, Technical and Development Manager, Winstone Wallboards. Winstone Wallboards are Strategic Partners of NZCB and New Zealand’s only manufacturer and largest marketer of gypsum plasterboard, drywall systems, associated products and services. For more information, visit www.gib.co.nz or call 0800 100 442.

KITCHEN PERFECTION

Easily accessible appliance installation guides for trade professionals. Download our complete set of trade resources.

fisherpaykel.com/trade-resources

SUSTAINABILITY

Optimum moisture protection for SIPs construction Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are gaining popularity in New Zealand due to their excellent insulation properties and quick installation compared to traditional building methods. SIPs consist of a rigid insulated core (usually EPS, XPS, or PIR) sandwiched between two layers of OSB, plywood, fibre cement, or mag oxide board, and are suitable for constructing floors, walls, and roofs. To prevent moisture issues during construction it’s essential to protect the SIPs outer layer from moisture ingress, so applying a Weather Resistive Barrier (WRB or underlay) to the exterior surface as early as possible is recommended. The pro clima SOLITEX® range of underlays have been used on SIPs projects over many years, and incorporates a non-porous TEEE membrane that is both waterproof and airtight, but highly vapour-permeable to allow for drying. SOLITEX EXTASANA ADHERO® is a self-adhesive roof and wall underlay suitable for factory or site applications. SOLITEX EXTASANA® is a staple-fixed underlay appraised for use over both stick frames and rigid walls. SOLITEX MENTO® connect underlays are recommended for SIPs roofs and include built-in adhesive strips to prevent moisture wicking at laps. Creating a vented cavity between the roof underlay and metal roofing is essential to handle condensation and regulate temperature. Refer to the pro clima Construction Details Library for more information.

On-site with Craft Homes Limited

Penetrations through the underlays that protect the SIPs can be sealed using the appropriate tape, such as TESCON EXTOSEAL® sill tape for window openings; TESCON® NAIDECK for roof counter battens, and on the interior; TESCON EXTORA® for panel joints and junctions between floors, walls, and ceiling panels. ROFLEX & KAFLEX sealing grommets are also recommended for pipe and cable penetrations to ensure an air and weathertight seal on both sides of the panel.

One significant advantage of SIPs is the element of prefabrication, which allows for rapid and low-waste construction. SIPs are particularly suitable for constructing low-energy or Passive House buildings where insulation and airtightness are critical elements to their performance. When heat recovery ventilation systems are incorporated, SIPs buildings can provide excellent thermal comfort and health benefits with low energy inputs. However, like with any construction method, working with SIPs can pose challenges. A lack of familiarity with the product at the design and build stages can offset the benefits prefabrication offers. Additionally, SIPs often contain moisture sensitive materials prone to mould and rot, which can affect the building’s integrity and occupant health if not managed properly.

Floor panels are at a higher risk of saturation, especially when constructing through winter months. The SOLITEX EXTASANA ADHERO® offers temporary weather protection of SIPs floors and can handle foot traffic during construction. Pro clima’s Weather Resistive Barriers and external tapes can be left exposed for up to 180 days, which provides sufficient time to complete the project without compromising the building’s integrity before claddings are installed.

Here at Pro Clima New Zealand we are passionate about managing moisture. With all buildings, we have various sources of moisture to consider including rain leaks, construction moisture, water vapour transported by air leakage and diffusion through permeable materials, all of which will vary based on the structure’s exposure during construction, the local climate, building orientation, and what’s happening inside.

To inquire about pro clima weathertightness and airtightness solutions for your next SIPs project, contact the team at 0800 PRO CLIMA or welcome@proclima.co.nz.

Richard Hollard, Specification Manager, Pro Clima New Zealand. Richard has over 17 years of experience in the building industry, including some time on the tools. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Ag), is Certified Passive House Tradesperson and ATTMA Level 1 Tester. Richard is experienced in communicating with designers, builders and homeowners. www.proclima.co.nz

TRADIE ACADEMY

The power of an online presence Why every small business in New Zealand needs a website Less than 30% of New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) business members maintain a website. This small statistic indicates that most members rely on referrals for new business. You limit your potential homeowner enquiries by depending on this method of marketing.

Trust plays a pivotal role in the decision-making process for homeowners. They tend to trust businesses with dedicated domain names more than business owners using free email addresses or subdomains. To establish credibility and foster brand growth, aligning your professional domain name with your business name and email is essential. Consistency is the key to building trust.

In a digital age where people rely on their phones and computers for research, it is essential to have an online business listing. The internet has revolutionised how we find reliable suppliers for goods and services, making it quicker and more transparent. Recent research by Homestyle Magazine in 2023 highlights a significant shift in consumer behaviour. Homeowners are now 60% more likely to research ideas and select their builders online using an internet search. This statistic drops to 51% if you use social media without a website.

For example: • Company name: Great Home Builders Ltd • Domain name: www.greathomebuilders.co.nz • Email: jo@greathomebuilders.co.nz

Investing in a website is strongly recommended for New Zealand residential builders if you want to expand your business and attract more clients. Websites are a business asset for accounting purposes, providing an additional incentive for your business to have an online presence.

10 key things to ensure the success of your website

Where to start when building a website

1. Showcase previous projects: A website acts as a visual portfolio where you can exhibit your completed residential projects, allowing potential homeowners to assess the quality of your work and gain inspiration for their projects.

For those on a tight budget, there are online platforms where you can create your website for free, such as www.wix.com. If you are not tech-savvy, it pays to hire a professional. NZCB has a website partner to assist you with putting together a website; Willing Web. Willing Web can create a basic website for you with no upfront costs. The Base Care Plan, Entry Willing Web Care, is priced at just $55 per month. You can learn more about this under the Member Benefits section on the NZCB members-only Toolshed at www.nzcb.nz/members/member-benefits/.

2. Local visibility: Optimising your website for local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO*) by including keywords throughout your content (among other things) enhances your presence in local search results, especially when people in your area seek residential construction services. *SEO is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.

Writing engaging and SEO-optimised website content is really important. We recommend hiring a professional writer, such as www.awaywithwords.co.nz to take away the pain of writing your own content. They’ll interview you before writing content for your website that speaks to your audience and reflects who you are. They also make sure your website is SEO-optimised, which means you’re more likely to come up in a Google search.

3. Contact information: Your website should prominently feature your contact information, making it easy for potential clients to contact you. 4. Detailed services: Provide comprehensive information about your services, from new home construction to recladding and renovations, offering a clear understanding of the projects you can undertake.

You can also ask around your business network. Just like you ask for referrals, ask your suppliers and friends who they would recommend for website development.

5. Testimonials: Displaying client testimonials on your website fosters trust, as satisfied customer feedback serves as powerful endorsements for your services.

Test and measure your website When starting with a new website, it pays to set some goals. These could include generating email or phone enquiries. You need your website to have a purpose.

6. Blog and resources: Maintain a blog or resources section to share checklists, industry tips, and useful information.

How to measure if your website is working

7. FAQ section: Address common questions about the building process, permits, timelines, and more, reducing initial inquiries and saving time for you and potential clients.

Ask your web developer to include analytics tools like Google Analytics. The report can track: • Traffic: Track the number of visitors to your site. • Bounce rate: Monitor the percentage of visitors who leave your site without interacting further. • Conversion rate: Measure the percentage of visitors who complete your desired action (e.g., fill out your enquiry form or give you a call). • Traffic sources: Analyse where your traffic is coming from, such as organic search, social media, or referrals. • User demographics: Understand the characteristics of your audience.

8. Social proof: Showcase any awards, certifications, or affiliations with industry associations further to solidify your credibility, such as your NZCB membership. 9. Responsive design: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, given the prevalence of mobile web browsing. A responsive design allows potential clients to seamlessly access your site from any device. 10. About us: An About Us page provides visitors with insight into the people and values behind your business. It humanises your brand and helps build trust.

Regular updates It pays to have regular meetings/audits with your website developers to ensure it is working for your business. Ask for recommendations and improvement suggestions from them. Remember that your website is a bit like a home. If you don’t do any maintenance, it will deteriorate.

Karla Farrar NZCB Marketing & Services Manager

TRADIE ACADEMY

Securing your work sites and home before the holidays As we head into the silly season with plans to escape work and take a break, there are some important things to think about in regard to securing your building sites and home before you go away. This especially applies if you are away for an extended timeframe. Securing your work sites

Contract works policies have stoppage or cessation clauses with the time varying from insurer-to-insurer. Typically, these are 60 days, but it can be up to 90.

Many insurance policies use the words ‘reasonable care’. The precise wording can vary, but in general terms, policies will lay out some sort of requirement that you take all reasonable steps to prevent loss or damage for specific items or property. In other words, you can’t be seen to have been negligent when leaving your work sites for a certain period.

The policy has a clause that excludes losses immediately preceded by a total or partial stoppage of work for longer than the specified time period i.e., 60-90 days. If holiday breaks, unexpected weather, or supply issues cause significant delays, which might be longer than 60 days, you must advise your broker on insurer.

Check when your policy ends Builders know that everyone wants to be in their new house before Christmas! If a client is pushing to get into their dwelling before it has reached practical completion, you need to understand when your policy ends – as it may not be the end date you’ve selected. Each insurer has slightly different terms in their policy wording, so we highly recommend you familiarise yourself with the conditions to avoid leaving the home uninsured.

Don’t forget your own home Once you’ve got your work sites sorted, don’t forget to secure your own home if you are going away. • Tell trusted neighbours you won’t be around and perhaps ask them to collect your mail or any deliveries you are expecting.

In practical terms, reasonable care may include doing the following: • Covering or removing any property/items that are not designed to be exposed to the weather – in case of unforeseen weather damage.

• Make sure any windows and doors are securely locked.

• Checking locks and securing the property on-site – to help prevent theft and burglary risk.

• Put your newspaper on hold if you still get one.

• Cleaning up and removing any combustible materials – to avoid fire risk and malicious damage risk.

• Don’t forget to set your alarm if you have one!

• Don’t leave any tools lying around the property which could be used to break in. • Turn off your water to avoid any potential flooding.

• Arranging for someone to check the site regularly if security camera monitoring is not in place – as regular checks deter theft and also detect/minimise any damage.

Like your contract works insurance, you will also need to advise your insurer or broker if you are away for more than 60 days.

Stopping work for more than 60 days?

ICIB Brokerweb is the trusted insurance broker for New Zealand Certified Builders. If you are going away for more than 60 days give us a call on 0800 644 444.

Finally, and most importantly, have a safe and happy Christmas.

If you are going away for more than 60 days, you must let your insurer or broker know.

REDi Builders’ Insurance is administered by ICIB Brokerweb and is exclusive to NZCB members. ICIB Brokerweb are NZCB’s preferred insurance broker and operate the NZCB Insurance helpline. They can be contacted on redi@bwrs.co.nz or 0800 644 444 or www.icib.co.nz

TRADIE ACADEMY

Why you don’t need terms of trade First, what are terms of trade? They are the fine print on the credit application you sign when you open a new account with PlaceMakers. They are the letter of engagement you get from your lawyers each time you seek their help. They are the boring stuff on the website that you avoid having to read, when you select the box saying you have read and understood it. They are the “t’s and c’s apply” that you hear about on every radio advertisement. In short, they are the legal mumbo-jumbo that no-one gives a toss about. will want those terms of trade to be as heavily weighted in your favour as they possibly can be. So that when customers try to rip you off, they haven’t got a leg to stand on. The terms of trade used by the building materials merchants are a good example. If you put a foot wrong, they can stop credit, repossess all your stock, sue you personally, and sell any land you happen to own in your own name.

So why do we even care about them? Because, when it comes to an argument, those are the rules that determine who wins and who loses. Most people know that, but they still don’t bother reading them in advance. That might be because they gamble that nothing will go wrong, so the rules will never become relevant. Or because they assume they will be fair and reasonable. Or because they know it is futile to read them because their supplier is never going to agree to alter them just for their sake. Or simply because it’s too much effort and they have better things to do.

To be fair to them, they usually only use those rights against customers who are too casual about their obligations or dishonest or insolvent. And that is when you would use them too. But there is only one problem with builders using terms of trade. And that is, you already have them. They are otherwise known as your building contract. And it already says everything that terms of trade would say, and more.

However, it’s different if you are the supplier. You don’t want to be ripped off by the unscrupulous customer who’s going to find fault with everything you do and constantly look for reasons not to pay you or hassle you for discounts or remedial work or free-of-charge add-ons. You want to be protected from those people. And that’s where terms of trade come to your aid.

So, what happens if you use terms of trade in addition to your building contract? Then you have total confusion. Because those two documents will say entirely different things.

If you use debt collectors or management consultants, they will encourage you to use sophisticated terms of trade. And they

If you use debt collectors or management consultants, they will encourage you to use sophisticated terms of trade. And they will want those terms of trade to be as heavily weighted in your favour as they possibly can be.

or persuading bad debtors to pay up when the debt is undisputed, and there is no excuse for non-payment. But such is the nature of the building industry that there is hardly ever a bad debt that isn’t disputed. Building projects are complex, and there are huge amounts of money at stake. For every unpaid builder’s invoice, there is a counterclaim for defects, delays or alleged overcharging. So what inevitably happens when you call in the debt collectors is that the property owner ignores them. All the threats of dire consequences for non-payment fall on deaf ears because the property owners passionately believe in their cause. Consequently, the debt collector runs out of options and has to call in the lawyer. Only it’s the debt collector’s favourite lawyer, who isn’t a specialist in construction law, doesn’t know about payment claims and adjudication under the Construction Contracts Act, hasn’t read the building contract in depth, and just wants to take you off to court at huge expense. What’s worse is that the debt collectors still have their hand out for their commission on top of whatever legal fees you have to pay.

They have to because they are not a mirror image of each other, and if they were a mirror image of each other then you would only need one of them. Why is that a problem? Because if your customers do try to rip you off and you want to hold them to account, they go to a lawyer and they take both documents with them. And the lawyer looks at the two documents and realises that they contradict each other. They differ on a whole lot of things including the due date for payment of your invoices, the rate of interest for late payment, the customers’ rights and remedies against you, your rights and remedies against them, and the ways that disputes have to be resolved.

So I say, why not cut out the middle man and go to a specialist lawyer directly? Like it or not, your customers genuinely believe they have good grounds for resisting payment, and typically they are in the driver’s seat because they have got the benefit of your building work but they are still holding onto the money. A sophisticated building contract is going to force them to be more fair and reasonable, but you need someone who knows not only what the building contracts says, but also what special rights and remedies are available to you in your unique industry.

Why are they so different? Because the terms of trade that your debt collector wants you to use is a generic one-size-fits-all document that has been written for the average trading company that sells goods or services. You can bet that your debt collector doesn’t know much about the Building Act or the Construction Contracts Act, and not that much about the building industry either. They won’t have gone through your building contract with a fine-toothed comb and made sure the two documents say the same thing. Chances are they won’t have even realised that you already have terms of trade – namely your building contract that has been perfected over decades, in response to the unique characteristics of your industry and the legislation that governs it.

Any confusion or ambiguity allows your customer to argue for the interpretation that suits them best, and it costs you three times as much in legal fees to find out what the answer is.

So what you end up with is one set of rules or promises in one document and a completely different set in the other. A bit like the English and Māori versions of the Treaty of Waitangi. The result? Confusion, expense, delay, weakness, and a field day for your customer’s lawyer. Why? Because any confusion or ambiguity allows your customer to argue for the interpretation that suits them best, and it costs you three times as much in legal fees to find out what the answer is. Whereas if your terms had been clear, consistent and unambiguous, there would have been no room for argument, and you would have the upper hand.

Therefore, I leave you with this thought. Don’t use generic terms of trade. You already have the most sophisticated terms of trade known to Man. Don’t dilute them by dishing up some contradictory document that is only going to weaken your position and cause confusion, delay and expense.

I have a lot of time for debt collectors, and they serve a very useful function, but the reality is, they don’t really have a role in the construction industry. They are very good at coercing Geoff Hardy is a partner in the Auckland law firm Martelli McKegg Lawyers and is a construction law specialist. Geoff also operates the NZCB Building Contracts and Business Related Legal helpline for NZCB members, contact Geoff on 09 379 0700 or geoff@martellimckegg.co.nz for 20 minutes of free advice. This article is not intended to be relied upon as legal advice.

TRADIE ACADEMY

Understanding deposits Security of payment

Extract from New Zealand Certified Builders Fixed Price+ Building Contract

The New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Building Contracts are unique in that they provide added assurance for the builder when a client defaults on payment.

D. DEPOSIT $15,000

Noted as a deposit within the contract, this actually becomes security of payment during construction.

Fifteen Thousand Dollars only

E. METHOD OF PAYMENT

The intent of the building contract is for the builder to receive the deposit upon signing the contract, and the builder to then put the deposit aside for the duration of the contract.

Tick selected option below (if no option is ticked or both options are ticked the Option B applied with monthly payments), EITHER: OPTION A

Best practice is to put the deposit into an escrow or solicitor’s account with the condition that both parties can draw down the deposit in the event of;

a. the builder going into liquidation or receivership, b. the client running into financial difficulties and being unable to fund the remaining work. You can also utilise an escrow or solicitor to respond to any third-party (banks, mortgage brokers, and lawyers) requests for security on the deposit. The deposit serves the purpose of security for the duration of the work. When the builder formulates the final payment claim, the deposit sitting off to one side in a safe account or in escrow is reconciled against the final payment claim amount i.e., is deducted from the final payment claim amount. It is therefore not seen as a progress payment through the duration of the contract (unless payment is threatened). Should the deposit amount be more than the final payment claim then the builder will owe the balance to the client. To ensure an “overpayment” situation does not occur, make sure the last scheduled payment is slightly more than the deposit amount.

Progress payments on the completion of the following stages (subject to adjustments for Provisional Sums, cost fluctuations and Variations*): Including but not limited to preliminary costs, consent application costs (if applicable) and special material procurement costs

Floor down

Completion of foundations and floor structure

$10,000.00 incl GST*

Framing erected

Completion of all wall and roof framing

$15,000.00 incl GST*

Roof on

Installation and fixing in place of the roof and fascia

$15,000.00 incl GST*

Closed in

Doors and windows installed, interior protected from the elements

$20,000.00 incl GST*

Exterior cladding Exterior wall linings in place,

$30,000.00 incl GST*

stopped and sealed ready for final coating

If you are interested in an escrow account, NZCB has recently partnered with Green Light Escrow. Check out page 14 for more information or visit their website www.greenlightescrow.co.nz

Calculating contract value Because the deposit amount is reconciled against the final payment claim, the deposit amount should be sitting within the contract values. As per the example on the right; should the final payment claim be challenged by the client, the deposit comes across to cover the builder’s costs and a discussion is had with the client regarding the outstanding $5,000.00.

Painting and kitchen

Kitchen installed and all exterior and interior decorating/coating completed

$20,000.00 incl GST*

Other (please specify)

Decking completed

$20,000.00 incl GST*

Final payment

Practical Completion achieved – the final payment must be paid before possession is transferred to the Owners

$20,000.00 incl GST* includes deposit amount of $15,000.00

Total Progress Payments (this should be equal to the Original Contract Price and is subject to adjustment for Provisional Sums, Cost Fluctuations and Variations)

This is a far better position for the builder to be in than having the full $20,000.00 outstanding.

$10,000.00 incl GST*

Establishment

= $160,000.00 100% incl GST*

Deposits Q&A At the NZCB National Support Office (NSO) we constantly field enquiries from our members regarding deposits for building work.

Are we required to take a deposit? Taking a deposit as part of a building contract agreement in the New Zealand building industry is best practice. Deposits ensure a commitment from the client and act as insurance protection for the duration of the contract. The “Understanding Deposits” (previous page) section of the members’ handbook explains the benefits in more detail.

What percentage of the contract should the deposit be?

Can I use the deposit to start the project? If you need to help purchase materials and services to start the project, the recommended practice is to request an Establishment Fee then set it up as the first payment claim of the building contract payment claim schedule.

Need further help? If you would like help in explaining to your clients how the deposit is managed through the NZCB Building Contracts, please don’t hesitate to contact NSO on 0800 237 843. And remember, regardless of whether you are dealing with friends, family, or clients, you need to keep your business hat on and request a deposit.

There is not a set percentage or value you should be requesting for the deposit. However, when working out your deposit value, take into consideration that it needs to be fair and reasonable, and less than the final payment claim amount.

Trust a Resene Eco.Decorator to do your job just right! When it comes to your decorating projects it helps to know you’ve got the right painter for the job as well as the right paint. So when you choose the services of an approved Resene Eco.Decorator you can be sure that the paintwork will be just as good as the paint.

Visit ecodecorator.co.nz to find out more

Shane Ririnui NZCB Membership & Technical Manager

EVENTS

Giving back: Gisborne builders now certified hunks New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Gisborne Region faced a challenge; to come up with something that brought our logo and branding to the forefront in a region dominated by other organisations. How could we make our mark, ensuring the NZCB brand stood out? We tossed a few ideas around. A golf day? Maybe a trade show? Or continue as we were? In the garage over a few milkshakes, two years ago, the idea of a calendar was brought up. “A calendar, eh? Like one of those chipmunks calendars” we joked. “Yeah, like a fireman’s calendar but featuring our NZCB members instead!”. The idea sounded good, but we didn’t think much more of it until the next morning when it was brought up again – and we’ve been talking about it every day since!

Manager Karla Farrar and Territory Manager Central North Island to Wellington, Brad Mitchell, and their guidance was invaluable. Our members attended multiple meetings, some challenging, to finalise smaller details and ensure everything was under control before and during the photo shoots and when it came time for the final proofing. The members involved in the calendar stepped out of their comfort zones in front of the camera to raise awareness for a great cause. Sponsors donated funds to cover photography and printing to allow 100% of the proceeds to go to our charity. The images are not only funny, but extremely important, and I couldn’t be more proud of our region.

Mr January

Mr May

And so the idea was born. But, how were we going to sell it? We needed a way of linking it to the community otherwise it was just a calendar showcasing a bunch of builders. And then, as I was driving to work listening to The Rock’s Morning Rumble with Mike King talk about youth mental health and I Am Hope, it became clear. I pulled over to take a breath, and in that moment, we had our link: men’s mental health and suicide awareness in the construction industry. The calendar would be our way to promote that it’s OK to not be OK – and speak up. It was at that moment I thought of all the pressures builders and business owners are put under on a daily basis. The next step was to take the idea to our Gisborne Region members. They backed it 100%. Now the question was, which charity? Our members agreed quickly that our charity of choice was to go local with Hear4U. Hear4U is a charitable trust advocating for men’s mental health, wellbeing, and suicide prevention. They help our Tairawhiti men with pathways through their mental health journeys. Hear4U has not only helped many tradies in Gisborne but it has extended its support throughout the region, including our rural communities.

The Gisborne Region officially launched the calendar on 26 October, 2023, in front of 200 guests including NZCB Board Chairperson Nick Farrelly, NZCB Territory Manager Central North Island to Wellington Brad Mitchell, the Gisborne Mayor, and the National MP for East Coast. The community feedback was hugely positive – everyone had a really great night. Kind of like our own little NZCB Gizzy mini conference that went for a few hours, hahaha.

In launching our calendar, it was key to honour the NZCB brand’s integrity and values. We worked with NZCB’s Marketing & Services

So, let’s go back to the start. We needed to bring our logo and branding to the forefront in a region dominated by other

GISBORNE

“Gifts were presented to Brendan (a taonga) and Tracy from the #Hear4U Trust. These are symbolic of our AROHA and gratitude towards the efforts made by these NZ Certified Builders. After the year that we have endured here in Tairawhiti, our construction leaders need to be celebrated and supported.” – Krissy Mackintosh, General Manager, Hear4U

NZCB Coordinator Gisborne Tracy Lily and NZCB President Gisborne Brendan Fry.

organisations. Did we achieve this? Yes, we did. We even went further – bringing men’s mental health awareness in the construction industry to the forefront as well. And it is not just a one day or weekend promotion – our logo is on show for 12 months, if not more. I believe it will become an annual fundraiser in our region. I am sure our members are already thinking about their photo shoots for next year. Thank you to our generous sponsors; Mitre 10 Gisborne, Riversun Nurseries, Carters Gisborne, Bunnings Gisborne, Alex Hyland Plumbing, Ritchie Civil Engineering, Steven Webb Painting, Gisborne Scaffolding, Coates and Associates, Archer Electrical, Thermisol, BJ Miss, and Cherrywood Joinery. The biggest shout out goes to all our Gisborne Members because it was a real team effort. And I can’t go without thanking my lovely Tracy, this has been her little baby. You have done a fantastic job organising, planning, marketing… I could go on and on, but thank you so much for everything you have done for us all.

The Hear4U team.

Mr April

Calendars are available on the NZCB Toolshed website, in the online shop under the stationery section (www.nzcb.nz/members/shop/product-category/stationery/), and at Mitre 10 Gisborne. Show your support for a fantastic organisation, Hear4U, and have a giggle at the same time. If you would like to know more about Hear4U, visit www.hear4utrust.com

Mr March

Mr September Brendan Fry NZCB President Gisborne

TRADIE ACADEMY

Systems review: a solid digital foundation Builders use tools every day. Most will know the joy of a perfectly balanced hammer, grunty power drill, or very sharp handsaw. Having the right tool for the job is a great feeling. But what if you’re a business owner as well as a tradie? A builderturned-boss? Now, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the tools of another trade, the ones that will set your business up for success. These will include tools to manage your accounts, your job progress, your payroll, and your timesheeting. Tools to help you store records and client notes, produce financial reports, and accurately estimate costs. There’s right tools and wrong tools. Knowing where to start is key.

Knowledge is power FreeUp offers systems reviews as a way to help trades business owners figure out whether they are using the right tools – simple as that! As experts in job management software and other digital tools for builders and tradespeople, we can provide real, practical advice in that arena. A systems review is an ideal place to start (or restart, as the case may be). It involves:

Going back to correct mistakes can mean having to deconstruct and re-construct processes and systems and that’s a lot more time and money lost than the cost of getting it right the first time.

• A comprehensive questionnaire that enables the FreeUp team to gather essential information about your unique business and systems.

We can’t overstate the importance of a “right-fit” job management system, and that’s why a systems review is crucial. In the last issue of InHouse magazine (October/November 2023), we wrote about how you can find the job management software that works best for your specific business type and needs, covering considerations such as:

• A Zoom meeting to fill in any gaps left by the questionnaire. We’ll go over your answers together and discuss your needs in-depth. • Identification of the biggest priorities for your business and the changes or efficiencies that will have the biggest impact.

• Which trade you’re in.

• The creation of a personalised plan of attack including a top three list of recommendations and a roadmap to success.

• What your goals are. • Whether you’re planning to grow.

It’s an affordable way to get a grasp of your tech situation and ensure you have the very best tools at hand going forward. Whether your business is just starting to grow and looking to start on the right foot with JMS or in need of a reset and seeking a better, more suitable tech solution, a systems review is a fantastic and accessible investment.

• Which other software tools you’re using. • What your budget is. In today’s world, tech matters. Your JMS or app stack is a part of your toolbox just as much as your favourite skill saw. We wish you the very best in your digital endeavours! If you think you would benefit from a systems review to set your business up for long-term success, get in touch with the FreeUp team: hello@freeup.co.nz or 021 149 8785.

A foundation for success Getting it right the first time is important when you’re building a house and when you’re building a business. A systems review is an investment that’s well worth it in the long run, creating a solid foundation upon which your business can grow and scale.

Kelli Beaumont, FreeUp . FreeUp is a NZCB National Partner and tech advisor for builders – making the process quick and easy, from selecting the right software to setting up the system to training staff. FreeUp also operates the NZCB Technology and Software helpline for members. Contact us on 021 149 8785 or visit www.freeup.co.nz.

Architecture & Craftsmanship

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TRADIE ACADEMY

Holidays and entitlements: What you need to know this festive season As we draw closer to the end of the year, employers are faced with the challenge that is the Holidays Act 2003 and determining their employee’s leave and holiday entitlements during the festive season. We cover key need-to-know tips below. Closedown

whether the employee works only when work is available, and the reasonable expectations of the parties. An OWD may vary between employees, therefore employers will need to review each employee’s situation practically.

If your business operates a closedown period, and your employment agreements includes a clause explaining this, employees can be required to use annual holidays or take unpaid leave during your closure. Closedown periods are available to employers provided they are “customarily” used, and employees are given at least 14 days’ notice of the dates of this.

On call on public holidays: If an employee is on call on a public holiday, on an OWD and is called out, they will be entitled to a full day alternative holiday.

Annual holidays: Employees who are entitled to annual holidays can be required to take these with 14 days’ notice, if an agreement on the timing of holidays cannot be reached.

If an employee is on call on a public holiday, on an OWD and is not called out, they will be entitled to a full day alternative holiday if they have not practically had a holiday on that day because of the restrictions imposed by their being on call. Determining this will involve considering what the employee is practically required to do to remain available to attend call-outs during the day.

Public holidays: Employees are entitled to be paid for any public holiday, even if they don’t work that day, if it falls on a day that would have ‘otherwise been a working day’ (OWD) for them. The following public holidays, which all fall on weekdays this year, will be observed during the festive season: • Christmas Day Monday, 25 December 2023

Transfer of public holidays: Employers can agree in writing with employees to transfer any public holiday to another day. The new date cannot be another public holiday and must be an OWD.

• Boxing Day Tuesday, 26 December 2023

Alternative holiday

• New Year’s Day Monday, 1 January 2024

If an employee is required to work on a public holiday, they will be entitled to a whole day off (alternative holiday). The purpose of an alternative holiday is for an employee who has worked a public holiday to have a day off in lieu as compensation for working on a public holiday.

• Day after New Years Day Tuesday, 2 January 2024

Closedown periods are available to employers provided they are “customarily” used, and employees are given at least 14 days’ notice of the dates of this.

An employee can take payment (cashing up) for an alternative holiday but only after 12 months of being entitled to it. Cashing up an alternative holiday before the 12 months of entitlement will not comply with the provisions of the Holidays Act 2003.

Need further help?

Where an employee works on a public holiday, they must be paid at the employee’s ordinary pay plus half that amount again for time worked, and if the public holiday is on an OWD, they will also be entitled to a full day alternative holiday.

Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers operate the NZCB Employment Helpline, for a free 15-minute consultation, give us a call on 0800 354 821.

What is an OWD?: Not sure if your employee would have otherwise been working? The Holidays Act 2003 lists factors to consider including, what the employment agreement states, what the work patterns are, any rosters or systems in place,

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

Kate Ashcroft, Partner, of Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers. Copeland Ashcroft Workplace Lawyers operate the NZCB Employment helpline, offering specialist advice, representation and support across employment, immigration and health and safety law, to businesses throughout New Zealand. Call 0800 354 821 or visit www.copelandashcroft.co.nz.

TRADIE ACADEMY

Keep admin under control Feel like you’re sinking under a pile of paperwork? While admin is probably the last thing you want to spend time on, it’s absolutely vital for the day-to-day running of your business. It doesn’t have to be a constant slog though… here’s a few tips on how to work smarter, not harder. Is your inbox overwhelming? Manage your email by bringing some organisation and structure to your inbox. This will reduce the amount of time you have to spend reading and responding to emails. • Set up a professional email using your domain name. • Use an accounts@ address so all statements, bills and accounts queries can be captured and dealt with separately. This will help clear out your central email address. • Set up email rules for forwarding or filing repetitive emails. For example, send invoices to Hubdoc. • Regularly declutter your subscribed emails. If they’re no longer relevant, unsubscribe.

Systems and storage are key! Set up systems and processes that your whole team can easily follow. Use automation where possible – a platform like Zapier will help you have a consistent, streamlined workflow.

How to make time

Automation can also free up brain space and reduce the amount of time you spend looking for things. Use a shared drive like Google for centralised document storage and easy sharing, both internally and externally.

Set clear boundaries around time for work, family and, crucially, some time for yourself. Block out time for important tasks like admin, bookkeeping and when you’re available for client meetings. Oh, and don’t forget to include some time to grow your business, not just ticking off your to-do list. Now here’s the really important part – stick to your schedule unless there’s an absolute emergency.

A storage vault like LastPass, or Keychain for Apple users, will remember all your passwords. This lets you set secure, individual passwords that autofill with one click. You’ll never have to reset a password again because you can’t remember it!

Block out time for important tasks like admin, bookkeeping and when you’re available for client meetings... and don’t forget to include some time to grow your business, not just ticking off your to-do list.

Consistency, automation and good time management are key to staying on top of admin. As your business grows, consider outsourcing to an experienced bookkeeper or virtual assistant. It makes good business sense if your time is better spent managing staff and work sites, or focusing on sales and growth. For more information go to www.mysmartoffice.co.nz or call Amanda on 021 886 120.

Stay on top of your bookkeeping Many small businesses fail because of poor record keeping. Financial management software like Xero and Hubdoc will significantly reduce your workload. Spending a small chunk of time on your accounts every day will make life so much easier. Staying up-to-date positively impacts your cash flow and, because you’re right across your numbers, you’ll be able to make better business decisions. Amanda Chisholm, Director, My Smart Office and National Partner of NZCB. Amanda runs a successful residential building company with her husband and uses her 20+ years’ experience in bookkeeping, administration, customer communication and sales to help builders manage their accounts and administration, increase revenue and gain time. www.mysmartoffice.co.nz

TRADIE ACADEMY

Building success brick by brick: Kaizen principles in construction Guess it’s no surprise when I say construction is a highly competitive industry, and even more so right now. The best companies respond by continually seeking new ways to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve their profitability. One idea that has garnered interest in recent years is the application of Kaizen principles. Kaizen is a Japanese term that is made up of two parts: Kai, meaning “change” and Zen, meaning “good”. This “change for good” idea has come to symbolise “continuous improvement,” and is proving to be a game-changer for some construction companies. The philosophy of Kaizen in construction

Standardisation is the best way to lock in the improvements you make via Kaizen, much like the ratchet in a car jack. It involves creating clear, documented processes and procedures for various field and admin tasks. Standardisation ensures that everyone in the organisation is on the same page and reduces variations in workflow, resulting in improved efficiency and quality. For example standardisation may involve creating detailed checklists for safety protocols, equipment maintenance, and project management stages.

Kaizen emphasises the pursuit of incremental, continuous improvements in every aspect of a business, from processes and workflows to employee engagement and safety. It is both a philosophy and a methodology for improvement. One of the key philosophical elements of Kaizen is to engage and empower every employee in the process of improvement. In construction, this means encouraging team members on-site and in the office to share their insights, suggestions, and feedback on how to improve safety, quality, and efficiency.

Benefits of Kaizen in construction The application of Kaizen principles in construction offers several significant advantages: 1. Improved efficiency: Standard procedures, regular reviews, and continuous improvement lead to increased efficiency and reduced waste. 2. Improved safety: Team involvement in identifying safety hazards and suggesting improvements results in a safer working environment. 3. Improved quality: Kaizen promotes a culture of quality assurance, leading to better construction projects and more satisfied customers. 4. Reduced costs: Eliminating waste and improving efficiency ultimately leads to cost savings and improved profitability. 5. Employee engagement: Involving team members in the improvement process boosts morale, fosters a sense of ownership, and attracts and retains the best talent.

Involving the entire team ensures that the people closest to the work can contribute valuable perspectives. Rather than owners or senior management coming up with ideas to try and pushing them down the chain of command, the best ideas typically come from the pitface and should be pushed up the chain of command for support. The core idea is to empower everyone within the organisation to actively contribute to the growth and success of the company.

The methodology of Kaizen in construction At the heart of Kaizen is the idea that every process, no matter how efficient, can still be improved. In the construction industry, this means identifying bottlenecks and areas where waste can be reduced. And by waste I don’t mean just what goes in the skip. Physical waste minimisation is part of the process, but the biggest waste in most building projects is time. Continuous improvement encourages everyone in a company to regularly review their operations and seek ways to enhance them. For example, a foreman or project manager might encourage daily stand-up meetings to discuss the previous day’s progress and identify small areas for improvement in real-time. Kaizen is implemented best when lots of small improvements are identified, rather than trying to find one big, silver bullet solution to a problem.

While implementing Kaizen principles may require some cultural shifts within a company, the long-term benefits are significant. Companies that adopt this mindset can look forward to a future where they build success one improvement at a time….brick by brick. For a helpful PDCA worksheet, email me at andy@tradescoach.co.nz, and I will send you a copy. Just put “PDCA worksheet” in the subject line.

A common tool to use in the Kaizen process is the PDCA process. PLAN – DO – CHECK – ADJUST. Someone comes up with an idea to test and a PLAN is developed to test the change. The plan is implemented (DO) and then reviewed for its success (CHECK). Based on that checking and review process you then ADJUST the plan and lock in the gains made.

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

Need more colour in your life?

After 10 years in business we are stepping out of the shade. Cabjaks Colour Kitchens are now a real thing. White looks great, but it’s not for everyone. It’s soothing to know that you can now offer selected colour and woodgrain options to your customers at prices that deﬁnitely will not make your skin peel! Leaving you with happy customers, looking great and with plenty of time to spend on your tan. You are very welcome…

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LEADERSHIP

Why financial reporting is key for success There are now a number of different reports and tools available to a builder for all aspects of reporting in their business. But which reports does a builder really need to stay on top of their finances? “I am going to be a builder”. She then explained the importance of knowing your numbers and having skills in these areas because being a builder was more than just physically building. The student thanked her as he left the class that day as nobody had explained this to him before.

It can be really easy to get buried in too much detail and not pick up on the key aspects you should be tracking. Good reporting should enable you to answer the following questions: • What is the margin I am making on this quote? Answers the question; “Is it worth getting out of bed for this margin or should I go fishing?”.

As a business owner, you are more than just a builder. You have responsibilities to a number of people including family, staff, and customers to name a few. These responsibilities include knowing the basic financials of your business.

• What profit did I make on this job after I completed it? Answers the question; “Have I covered my business overheads along with a good salary for myself?”.

Who needs your reporting?

• What went right, and what went wrong, on this job? Answers the question; “How do I ensure I am not making the same mistakes again and again?”.

You – You want to be able to sleep at night and ensure you are building a legacy your family and staff can participate in. This comes from knowing your numbers.

• Am I doing the right type of jobs in my business? Answers the question; “What are the most profitable and efficient types of jobs I should focus on in my business?”.

Customers – Your customers want good reporting and will have more confidence in you if they see that coming from you. A nosurprises reputation pays off.

• Where does my current job profit and overall company profit sit (adjusted for work in progress)? Answers the question at any time; “Am I travelling ok?”. • What is my overhead percentage? Answers the question; “Are my overheads being covered or are my overheads too high?”. • Have I done a financial budget for the year? Answers the question; “Based on all I know and foresee, will the year ahead deliver me a result I am happy with?”. • Do I have a forecast position for profit and cash? Answers the question; “Am I going to be ok at the end of this time so I can afford to take an afternoon off?” • What are our industry Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and how am I going against them? Answers the question; “What are the key things that make this industry tick and am I doing ok against them?”.

Compliance requirements Whether we like it or not, we are all facing stronger compliance requirements – as builders and business owners – from the following organisations.

Having been the accountant for a number of builders in the past, it was always surprising to see how many didn’t have the answers to these basic questions. A number of my builder customers didn’t know if they were making or losing money on jobs, or which jobs were more profitable for them. They were using cashflow from the next job to prop up the job they had just completed and weren’t making enough money to pay themselves a good salary.

New Zealand Certified Builders – There is a minimum requirement to meet strong reporting and financial standards to protect your membership value. Bank – Banks continue to increase all their compliance requirements. Having your fingers on the numbers and strong reporting will give them a good feeling about you and your business. More stringent timely financial compliance reporting for banks is expected in the future.

One of the favourite stories my wife tells me from her time as a relief teacher was when she had a student in her maths class that said to her; “Why do I need to know this stuff miss?”. She asked him what he wanted to do when he left school. His answer was,

Your Business Software Builda Price, for example, is known for its financial reporting strength and will help you with the following. Pricing program – When you price your job, know what your margin is before you quote. You are wanting to be in a no-surprises position. We often refer to our pricing program as your sleeping pill because builders can have trouble sleeping after putting a big price in because they’re worried they’ve missed something out. Back costing – This shows how you are going against each section of your quote, during the job and at the end of the job. Let’s not make the same pricing mistake again and again.

Insurance companies – We are seeing a focus on this area in Australia with increased insurance reporting requirements around jobs and businesses. We can expect to see New Zealand follow suit.

What are the best jobs for you to focus on – By building a history of job performance we see builders start to focus on the jobs that work for them in a profit and efficiency sense.

Accountant – Your accountant should be helping your business to succeed and good reporting helps. You should be in a position to ask your accountant the hard questions (and not the other way around), especially when you have access to your financial reporting.

Forecast job positions – We show you and your customers where the job is heading. Let’s prevent any nasty surprises along the way.

IRD – Compliance in this area isn’t going away and will increase. Good reporting makes it easier to meet IRD requirements.

By the time this article is released, Builda Price will have released these new financial reporting tools:

So, where do I get these reports?

Work in Progress Report – This will keep your accountant happy as well as enable you to truly understand and manage the financial fluctuations in your numbers.

In both my accounting practise, and now in Builda Price, I have not seen “death by a thousand cuts” but instead, “death by a thousand spreadsheets”. Just about every builder has their magical spreadsheet when you talk to them. In some cases, a spreadsheet is the best solution as there isn’t a great alternative around.

Fixed Price Contract Management Tool – This reporting tool will ensure you are right on top of your WIP, your retentions, your claim %, and your customer reporting. Financial Portal – This will be close to releasing and will enable you to see job profitability along with accounting for your overhead % from Xero. This will also support your key industry KPI and enable benchmarking against your other jobs and similar builders for these KPI.

However, with today’s systems and reporting – you can use more than a spreadsheet to answer those key questions above. Spreadsheets can help with: • Setting a budget on a rolling basis. • Cashflow forecasting (I personally use them for this purpose with a model I have developed over the years). • Other reports that are out of the ordinary. You just need to ensure you have built in the right checks and controls.

Moving forward, it is essential your business software is operationally strong and that reporting and reporting standards easily meet your requirements along with the necessary compliance requirements in the industry. If you don’t have financial reporting underway, it’s time to build your strength up in your business reporting. This will be the difference between thinking you are in control and making money versus knowing you are in control and making money.

Xero helps to answer the following: • What is my overall profit in the business on a monthly, year to date, and year-end position? However, you need to be aware of your work in progress position as this can greatly distort your financial reporting. • What is my overhead percentage? Take your year-end or year to date numbers, add up all your overhead costs, and then divide this into your total sales to get your overhead percentage. • Financial Budget. You can load a budget into Xero to report against. • Forecast Cash. Xero has some good add-on partners and modules for cash forecasting.

Darren Wallbank, Builda Price. Builda Price is a NZCB National Partner and was developed to help builders quickly and accurately price jobs along with tracking their progress and costs live on the job. Quoting, Time-sheeting, Job Tracking, bill processing and Project Management (shortly) on mobile and desktop. For more information visit www.buildaprice.co.nz

HEALTH & SAFETY

Keeping your team safe beyond the workplace Safety matters both on and off-site. Find out how ACC is working with construction organisations to reduce the number of lost days by Having a Hmmm. In the world of construction, the hum of activity on a job site is constant. The powerful machinery, the rhythm of tools, and the buzz of workers bringing structures to life are all part of the daily routine. With so much going on, any tradie would agree that safety on-site is a top priority.

If you come up short here, we might be short next week

However, it’s easy to forget about the injuries that happen offsite, and how they can significantly impact your people and their families. Over half the injuries (56%) that cause people to take time off work happen outside of the workplace.

Lost days due to injury According to ACC data, non-work injuries in the Residential Construction sector led to 637,458 days lost due to injury over five years. Work-related injuries tend to cause longer periods of time off, with 683,126 days lost during the same period. Together, that means the sector loses over 1.3 billion days lost! These numbers highlight the importance of employers playing a part in preventing injuries outside the workplace. Not only are they prevalent but can be serious and lead to prolonged periods of absence, impacting everyone involved.

The impact ACC Injury Prevention Programme Leader James Whitaker says, “These statistics are more than just numbers; they represent the personal experiences and challenges faced by your people and their whānau. Injuries can set off a chain reaction of difficulties, not only affecting the injured person but their support network. No one wants to become a burden to their loved ones or have their workmates bear the brunt of their absence.”

These prevention resources are focused on the non-work activities that most frequently impact your sector. For Residential Construction, 48% of non-work injuries are caused by sport with rugby union being the leading contributor at 34%. Additionally, 8% are caused by walking or running, and 5% by driving or riding a motorcycle. ACC0448_Preventable - Workplace_Cartel_A2_420x594_FA.indd 2

An injured employee, whether it’s work or non-work related, can also impact your business’s bottom line. Having your people off due to injury reduces business productivity, projects lag behind schedule, and you have to balance the workload between the people you have available.

2/09/22 3:22 PM

Right now, ACC is testing these resources with a small group as a pilot. If it works well, they want to make it available to more businesses, so everyone can benefit. According to James “We know the majority of New Zealand’s employers care a lot about their employees, and this care extends beyond the workplace. We expect many employers will see the value in getting the right info to their people at the right time. By taking part, we can all help each other stay injury-free, get the job done and keep doing what we love”.

“The good news is that around 90% of injuries are predictable, therefore preventable. If we can see it coming, we can stop it happening” James says.

Preventing non-work injuries

Keep your people safe on and off-site. If you’d like more information, resources, or further analysis on injuries impacting your sector, get in touch with ACC at haveahmmm@acc.co.nz.

While there is undoubtedly a strong emphasis on workplace health and safety, non-work injuries remain a relatively underestimated challenge within the construction sector. So, ACC has been working closely with some residential construction organisations to provide them with prevention resources, handy tips, and videos they can share with their people to help keep them safe outside of work.

ACC. ACC’s vision is to create a unique partnership with every New Zealander, improving their quality of life by minimising the incidence and impact of injury. We fund health, rehabilitation and service providers who help injured people in their recovery. ACC is privileged to work alongside many health and safety leaders to prevent injuries and improve outcomes for those injured.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Hidden hazard for outdoor workers When it comes to safety on the job site, there are many hazards to be aware of. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, while not immediately obvious, are one of the biggest risks for outdoor workers. Worksafe have identified that UV from the sun is the second most common carcinogen in workplaces in Aotearoa. People who work outside receive up to 10 times more UV radiation exposure than indoor workers, putting them at increased risk of developing some skin cancers. Provide sunscreen Ensure easy access to a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30+. Ensure sunscreen is within its expiry date and not stored anywhere too hot, like a car glovebox. Provide a cooler bag with an icepack for transport in cars. Check for rules around tax deductibility.

Remind employees to be SunSmart Regularly talk to your employees about being safe in the sun when working outdoors, including the application and re-application of sunscreen every two hours.

Encourage skin checks for early detection of skin cancers Workers find it hard to take time off, so be a proactive boss and talk to staff about how to make it work for you and your employees to get their skin checked by a doctor. Encourage your employees to undertake regular self-checks by talking about it and providing information.

Employers have a duty of care to not put workers at risk under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015. If UV radiation is identified as a potential hazard, employers must take steps to minimise the risk, as far as is reasonably practicable.

Useful resources that you can direct your workers to, on checking their skin including a self-check guide can be found at www.sunsmart.org.nz/skin-cancer/check-your-skin/.

Here are some straight forward ways to reduce your workers’ exposure to UV radiation, as well as heat exhaustion.

Provide shade

Limit time working outside

Allow workers to do tasks under trees or other shaded areas, or put up temporary shade structures like an outdoor gazebo. Remind staff to take breaks in the shade whenever possible. This is one of the most effective ways to reduce overall UVR exposure. Good quality shade can reduce UV radiation by more than 75%.

If possible, move tasks inside or adjust work times to when UV radiation levels are lower, such as early morning or late afternoon. You can check UV levels through this app – www.niwa.co.nz/ our-services/online-services/uv-ozone/uvi-smartphone-apps

Provide SunSmart personal protective equipment

Need more information

Depending on the requirements of your industry, sun-protective clothing could include:

A sample sun protection policy for your workplace is available to download at www.cancer.org.nz/assets/Downloads/SunSmart/ SunSmart-Sample-Policy-Workplaces.docx.

• a long-sleeved, collared shirt, ideally in a tight-weaved, dark fabric

You will also find more information and resources at www.sunsmart.org.nz or www.cancer.org.nz

• a wide-brimmed hat or helmet with a peak and neck guard (legionnaire’s flap) • close-fitting, wrap-around sunglasses that meet safety and sun protection standards (check the label).

The Cancer Society of New Zealand is the country’s leading organisation dedicated to reducing the incidence of cancer and ensuring the best cancer care for New Zealanders. We are committed to working with communities and decision makers by providing leadership and advocacy in cancer control, with core services in information and support, research and health promotion. www.cancer.org.nz

HEALTH & SAFETY

Hard hat basic safety Hard hats protect workers’ heads from various workplace hazards, below we explore essential information that employers and employees should know. Looking after your hard hat

Do I need a hard hat? Hard hats that comply with the standard AS/NZS 1801:1997 (or equivalent) must be worn at all times while on-site where there is a risk of objects falling from above. In fact, hard hats are becoming mandatory on most sites in New Zealand.

Store in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight, heavy or sharp objects. Keep your hard hat away from chemicals including paints, paint thinners, solvent-based adhesives (some stickers), and cleaning agents. Clean by scrubbing and immersing in warm soapy water and rinsing in clean warm water. Sweat bands must be regularly replaced as required. If the hat loses its glossy finish and appears chalky, the shell must be replaced.

Hard hats should be worn in any area that has the potential for workers: To be hit or struck by falling, fixed, moving, or protruding objects. To come in contact with electricity. To be exposed to UV, weather, and extremes of temperature.

Choosing the right hard hat for the job

The safety check

Hard hats come in a range of styles to suit all types of work: Industrial – suitable for use in construction, factories and quarries. High temperature – suitable for use in processes such as steel and glass manufacturing. Bushfire fighting – suitable for use by emergency personnel for combating bush fires. Peakless – allowing clear upward vision. Peaked – providing shade for the eyes and some facial protection. Full brim – providing fuller protection from falling objects and UV as well as water shedding.

All hard hat components should be inspected at least weekly for signs of dents, cracks, penetration, and damage due to impact, rough treatment, or wear. A simple test is to squeeze the sides of the hard hat together and listen and feel for signs of stress or cracking, which would indicate brittleness and deterioration. Field tests have shown helmet shells last for three years from issue date. Components of harnesses may deteriorate more rapidly and may need to be replaced.

Do hard hats have a use-by date? No, however it’s a good idea to record the date of issue by writing on the inside of the hat with a marker and replacing the hat every two or three years. Please note: that means the date that you are issued the hat, not the date of manufacture.

Some hard hats allow for the attachment of accessories to add further protection. When selecting your hard hat, you should also consider whether ventilation or hi-viz colouring is of benefit.

Training

How hard hats work

Employers are responsible for ensuring their workers are trained in the safe use, care, and maintenance of hard hats. This training should include: The hazards controlled by How to adjust the hard hat for hard hat use comfort and fit How the hard hat works How to correctly store a hard hat Limitations of hard hats How to identify signs of wear or damage When hard hats must be worn How to clean and maintain How to wear a hard hat their hard hat. correctly

Hard hats are made of a hard outer shell designed to take the initial impact and an inner harness designed to absorb and spread this impact, which minimises the effects of the force to the skull.

Wearing your hard hat correctly Adjust the harness cradle to ensure comfort and total contact with your head at all times. It is recommended you do not wear clothing items on your head as this will result in the harness cradle becoming ineffective. This includes hoods, baseball caps, thickly woven or heavily seamed beanies or balaclavas. Some hairstyles such as dreadlocks are also not recommended. To secure your hard hat, you can use the elastic chin straps, or a four-point retaining strap integrated with a harness when working at height. Ensure any attachments are compatible with the make and model of the hard hat. If you have any specific questions about wearing your hard hat it is a good idea to check with the manufacturer.

For more information, refer to: Health and Safety at Work Act at www.sitesafe.org.nz/guides--resources/hswact/ Standard: AS/NZS 1801:1997 or equivalent Standards New Zealand at www.standards.govt.nz

Site Safe New Zealand. Site Safe is a not-for-profit membership organisation established by industry for industry and is New Zealand’s leading health and safety solutions provider. www.sitesafe.org.nz

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Protecting your workplace: Crisis preparedness and response Below, you will find guidance on what to do in the event of an attack or site emergency involving an assault or an armed offender, including some practical advice on minimising the chances of an attack on-site. Follow government guidelines

Workers on-site are respectful of worksite neighbours, not being abusive or making unnecessary or excessive noise. Ensure workers follow council-allowed noise hours. Ensure valuables are kept secure and not left on-site overnight where possible.

Post-event It’s important to be aware of Critical Incident Stress (CIS). A “critical incident” is an event that can be so emotionally intense that it can be hard to handle using our usual ways of coping. These could include situations like a sudden death, serious injury, or a physical or psychological threat to the safety or well-being of an individual, workplace or community regardless of the type of incident.

Preparation ideas

Typical symptoms of Critical Incident Stress include:

Check:

Restlessness

Moodiness

Can someone freely walk into the workplace unchallenged?

Irritability

Muscle tremors

Check-in with workers during a Toolbox Talk about site security and what to do in the event of an attack.

Excessive fatigue

Difficulties concentrating

Sleep disturbances

Nightmares

Anxiety

Vomiting

Startle reactions

Diarrhoea

Depression

Suspiciousness

Does the site have CCTV, external and/or internal security lighting? Is there reception at the site to easily notify emergency services? Have you got two entrances? Ways to escape in an emergency? Speak up: Have there been any arguments or disagreements?

Help your team recover

Any known or suspected aggravation against worker/s?

There are some techniques and professional assistance you can reach out for.

Let your site supervisor or police know if you have knowledge of any potential attack or threats to workers.

Informal debrief with peers post-event – This can be done with supervisors, senior team members, or just work colleagues. Try and assess those team members who may need further support. Keep assistance within your training, and reassure colleagues that support is there for them with the provision of support numbers or how to access EAP services if available.

Log any incidents or security breaches using the HazardCo App and if urgent, ensure your site supervisor is made aware immediately. Ensure: Fences stay closed and secured when no one is present on-site. Keep sites closed from unauthorised entry during the day. Keeping fences shut can deter, hinder, or slow down potential attackers.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – EAP Services provides brief, solution-focused support, to help workers deal with any difficulties they may be experiencing and to minimise the impact on their life. Counselling is available via video, over the phone or face to face. It’s important for employers to ensure that they have EAP services organised for their employees before an incident occurs.

Signage like CCTV in operation can deter potential spur-of-the-moment attackers. Bullying or arguments are not allowed to continue and are de-escalated immediately.

As a NZCB member you have access to 3 free counselling sessions for you and your team each year as well as discounted rates to set up an EAP Services account. For more information check out the Health & Wellbeing section on the NZCB membersonly Toolshed, www.nzcb.nz/members/health-wellbeing/.

Keep sites clear of debris or trip hazards to enable quick escape. No gang patches or visual displays of gang affiliation are allowed on-site. Site security is taken seriously, not just for theft but worker safety.

Seek professional assistance to help you run a Crisis Management Briefing (CMB) – A CMB is one of the most highly utilised and versatile crisis intervention techniques. It is a structured group meeting designed to provide information about the event. Critical Incident Peer Support Groups use CMB’s as a way to share education about typical stress reactions and to provide information about basic stress management and coping techniques and resources. Seek professional assistance and run a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) – Following trauma exposure, an individual can experience multiple emotional, mental, and physical symptoms that impact their well-being. CISD is a practice that allows survivors to process and reflect on the traumatic events they’ve experienced and gain personal control over the incident.

Samaritans (open 24/7) – 0800 726 666 Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends. Youthline (open 24/7) – 08 00 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8:00am and midnight, or email talk@youthline.co.nz. 0800 WHATSUP children’s helpline – 0800 9428 787 between 1:00pm and 10:00pm on weekdays and from 3:00pm to 10:00pm on weekends. Online chat is available from 7:00pm to 10:00pm every day. Kidsline (open 24/7) – 0800 543 754. This service is for children aged 5 to 18.

For further support Free call or text 1737 (open 24/7). You’ll get to talk to (or text with) a trained counsellor. MATES in Construction – 0800 111 315 Lifeline (open 24/7) – 0800 543 354 Depression Helpline (open 24/7) – 0800 111 757 Healthline (open 24/7) – 0800 611 116

WITH A MILWAUKEE SPECIALIST

The HazardCo Team. HazardCo are your trusted safety partner, providing you with the tools and support you need to #SortYourSafety. They also operate the NZCB Health and Safety helpline for members and can be contacted on 0800 555 339.

WELLNESS

Build up to the Christmas holidays The lead up to Christmas can be an exceptionally stressful time in the building industry. There is mounting pressure to complete projects, increased demands from clients, and expectation to do longer days and weekend work. This kind of intensity can leave you and your team with little time for anything else, and interfere with familytime, sleep, meals, exercise, and downtime. Here are three things to consider

It’s easy to push on through knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Telling yourself the work will get done before Christmas and there will be time to relax during the holidays. But what good is it getting to the festive season if there is nothing left in the tank?

1. Reflect and learn Think about previous years when there were particularly tight deadlines or challenging projects. Consider how you handled the overload, stress, demands, lack of materials, and your team. Jot down a list of ‘what worked’ and ‘what didn’t’ and keep it handy so you can review it when the wheels get wobbly. Learning from our experiences is valuable if we remain realistic and open to making changes.

The trick is to try and find a balance while continuing to pump the work out so when it comes time to relax, your holiday period isn’t spent trying to unwind.

2. Set boundaries Plan and clearly communicate your work hours and limits to your clients and colleagues. Be realistic about deadlines and consider the commitments you impose on your staff. If everyone is on the same page, there are no surprises (or at least fewer), which reduces frustration, conflict, and burnout…or worse, walk out. 3. Prepare Managing projects requires a lot of coordinating, prioritising, and flexibility to get all the moving parts to come together. In 2024, consider upskilling one of the team to support you or get help from a qualified intern. Be organised and book other tradespeople in advance to take some of the pressure off. Hand over some of the straightforward tasks to your upskilled staff member or intern, like ordering supplies, booking tradies, or just following up on things, to give you a few hours back each day.

Learning from our experiences is valuable if we remain realistic and open to making changes. Here are three tools to implement 1. Mindfulness Introduce “mindful moments” throughout the day by consciously focusing on the present. Mindfulness enhances your awareness, reduces stress, and improves your ability to concentrate. By paying individual attention to the details around you, your conversations, what you are doing, how you are doing it, and what others are doing, you can tackle challenges with a clearer and more relaxed mind.

2. Breathing and grounding techniques When stress starts to overwhelm you, take a step back and practice breathing and grounding techniques. Deep breathing helps to calm your nervous system, reducing stress and increasing focus. Grounding techniques, like feeling your feet on the ground or your hands on a surface, help you stay rooted in the present moment. This allows you to regain composure and make better decisions during tense moments. 3. Prioritise some “me time” Allocate time for the stuff you enjoy. Dinner with the family, a game of squash, or catching up with friends. Do whatever it is that picks you up and relaxes you. Do what makes a challenging or frustrating day melt away so you can wake the next morning ready to face a new day with new energy.

To make the most of the Christmas break, park the work stuff and embrace the downtime. Whether you are an active relaxer or a blob with a book kind of person, do what fills your cup so you can return to the New Year refreshed and ready. Before you go back to work, create a plan for how you’ll manage stress and workload in 2024. Prepping can help avoid last-minute stress and create a more manageable schedule for the year. As we all know, we are kidding ourselves if we continue doing the same thing expecting different results.

Wendy Taylor, Head of Customer Experience at HumanEx. Wendy has 20 years’ experience working in both community and professional services. From heading Operations in a Business Coaching Company, to Managing NFP organisations, teams and volunteers, her experience has taught her plenty about people, processes, and purpose. www.humanex.co.nz.

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Receive a resources toolkit Delivered face to face or online This course is so relevant for the construction industry. We now have the tools and confidence to identify and approach staff who are presenting signs and symptoms of mental health issues. Nick Farrelly & Sharon Boyd NZCB Board Chairperson & Edgecity Builders Ltd

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NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo 2024 Building the Future

In the ever-changing world of construction, where progress and dedication to a brighter future are key, the 2024 New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) AGM, Conference & Expo is scheduled for 20 to 22 June, at the Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. Under the theme, “Building the Future,” this event has been thoughtfully tailored for you; our NZCB members and teams. Here are five reasons not to miss it. 1. Unbeatable networking opportunities

registration fee, travel costs, and accommodation as business related expenses. Win-win!

As a member of NZCB, you play an integral role in our community. This event offers a unique opportunity to connect with fellow members and industry experts. It’s a chance to establish new connections, strengthen existing relationships, and make lifelong friends, all under one roof. Our carefully planned schedule includes dedicated breaks, expo time, and functions to facilitate these interactions.

The NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo 2024 is designed to benefit you in numerous ways. It’s a fantastic opportunity to network, learn, share, and celebrate with your fellow members. We look forward to seeing you in Wellington and making this event a memorable one. Register now and be part of “Building the Future” together!

The venue

2. Stay at the cutting edge

3. Professional development

Located in the capital of New Zealand, the venue for the 2024 AGM, Conference & Expo will be the Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. Inaugurated in 2023, ‘Tākina,’ which means ‘invoke,’ is situated across from Te Papa Tongarewa. Its close proximity to Wellington’s stunning waterfront, nearby hotels, and top-notch catering services, makes it the ideal location for your event.

The educational workshops and keynote speakers will provide you with valuable tools and skills to enhance your professional growth. Learn from industry experts and peers who have navigated and overcome challenges similar to yours.

Members-only Annual General Meeting

The construction industry is ever evolving, with new trends, innovations, and regulations emerging frequently. With an impressive line-up of 74 industry-specific trade stands, our expo is your gateway to gaining insights and knowledge to keep your business at the forefront of the industry.

Friday 21 June 8:00am to 10:00am Auditorium | Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre

4. Fun, fun, fun When you’re working hard, it’s important to take time out to enjoy yourself. Our programme includes; an extended action-packed Friday Happy Hour, the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race with drinks, nibbles, thrills, spills and the return of the Silent Auction to raise money for the NZCB Apprentice Trust. The popular Saturday Night Awards Dinner promises an evening of recognition and celebration.

The New Zealand Certified Builders Associations 26th Annual General Meeting is a members-only session and a chance for you as a stakeholder to have your say in what is happening in the Association.

5. Affordability Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, we’ve managed to maintain lower registrations fees. What’s more, it’s tax-deductible! Because you are increasing your knowledge and upskilling to generate more revenue for your business, you can claim your

20 to 22 June 2024 Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre

Keynote Speakers and MC

Factory Tour Thursday 20 June In the lead up to the AGM, Conference & Expo, join us on Thursday 20 June for a fun, educational tour. You will be picked up from, and dropped back to, Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. We are still in the planning stages and have the following suggestions for next year’s tour: • Wellington Town Hall Redevelopment Project • Archives New Zealand new building • Weta Workshop Experience (1 hour and 30 mins) Watch this space!

Petra Bagust New Zealand television presenter and radio host Conference and Expo MC

Sir Ian Taylor New Zealand businessman, former television presenter, and one of New Zealand’s foremost technology innovators.

Melissa Clark-Reynolds Serial technology entrepreneur; widely recognised as an inspirational role model and business leader.

Gilbert Enoka Internationally renowned mental skills coach to New Zealand’s corporate and sporting elite, including the All Blacks, Black Caps, Silver Ferns, Crusaders, and Haydon Paddon.

Conference and Expo Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre Friday 21, the first official day of the Conference, will start with the 26th members-only AGM and be followed by an amazing line-up of keynote and educational speakers to get you thinking and motivated. Saturday 22 is all about upskilling and educating you and your team on current and relevant industry topics. Whether you’re an individual member, a Business member, work on-site, or behind the scenes in the office, our dedicated workshop streams have something for everyone. They include Stream 1: New to Business, Stream 2: Leadership, and Stream 3: a new Walking Bus. The Expo Area will be open throughout the day on Friday and Saturday. This will provide the perfect opportunity to catch up, stay up to speed, and engage with 74 industry-specific trade partners ready to showcase their latest services and products. We also have dedicated expo time on both days, so you won’t miss out on getting to the stands you want to see. Dress code: Smart casual with closed-in shoes

Educational sessions Our educational workshops deliver innovative ideas to empower both you and your team to tackle business challenges with confidence. These workshops focus on upskilling and educating you in the latest and most relevant industry topics. With three distinct streams, each offers a choice of four different areas of focus.

Leadership Stream

Functions

Tailored for experienced business owners. 1. Proposed Building Code updates and their impact on building for climate change.

Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race and Happy Hour Friday 21 June | 5:00pm – 7:00pm

2. Practical design and building techniques for creating healthier homes in New Zealand.

Thanks to your feedback following the 2023 conference, we’ve extended the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race and Happy Hour by two hours instead of hosting a Friday night function. This action-packed Happy Hour will feature the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race, the conclusion of an electronic Silent Auction, and extended expo time.

3. Business growth, sustainability, or downsizing in a challenging economic environment – what to consider. 4. Building your brand and its significance – understanding brand positioning, vision, values, and purpose to gain a competitive advantage.

On Friday, the 2024 NZCB Apprentice Challenge Regional Finalists are paired up and tasked with building a bespoke project. At 5:00 pm, finalists will compete in a thrilling race with their creations – completing various challenges along the way. Don’t miss the excitement as the finalists go head-to-head in the Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race.

New to Business Stream Designed for business owners with 1-3 years of experience. 1. Members panel – insights into contract and client management best practices.

The evening will also mark the conclusion of the electronic Silent Auction, with all funds raised going to the NZCB Apprentice Trust. By participating in the Silent Auction, you’ll have the opportunity to win exciting items and contribute to supporting aspiring builders who need assistance.

2. Marketing basics – a practical guide on how to market your small building business. 3. The importance of understanding Building Compliance – ensuring accuracy every time.

This is your chance to explore more expo stands, support your region or your favourite apprentice finalist, place bids to back our future builders, and enjoy snacks and beverages during this action-packed Happy Hour.

4. Cashflow management – how-to guide for small businesses.

NEW Walking Bus Open to all as a unique technical experience.

Dress code: Smart casual attire with closed-in shoes.

Based on your feedback on the 2023 conference, where many expressed a desire for a more distinctive Saturday workshop experience, we’ve introduced the ‘Walking Bus’ concept. This innovative approach allows you to tailor your educational sessions to your preferences, for a flexible learning experience.

NZCB Apprentice Challenge Final Awards & Gala Dinner Saturday 22 June | 7:00pm – midnight We will be celebrating in style at Tākina, with plenty of room to host the grand finale of the NZCB AGM, Conference & Expo.

The ‘bus’ will make stops at eight expo stands, each offering 30-minute sessions with a focus on technical content. You’ll have the opportunity to hop on and off at these stops as you please.

During the evening we will announce the winner of the 2024 NZCB Apprentice Challenge, making it a truly festive occasion.

To make this experience even more engaging, we’re incorporating gamification. Complete eight questions on the conference app and you’ll have a chance to win exciting prizes.

Join us in celebrating our future builders with a three-course meal, followed by entertainment provided by The Relatives one of Wellington’s most soughtafter professional cover bands. It’s a night to unwind and enjoy.

Workshops are subject to change.

Dress code: Hollywood theme

Draft Agenda Thursday 20 June 2024 8:00am – 4:00pm

Factory Tour: details coming soon

Friday 21 June 2024 7:00am

Registration Desk opens

8.00am – 10.00am

NZCB members-only Annual General Meeting

10.00am

Expo Stand area opens

10:30am – 11:00am

Morning Tea

11:00am – 12:00am

Dedicated Exhibition Time: 1 hour

12.00pm – 1:00pm

Keynote Speaker 1: Sir Ian Taylor

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Lunch

2:00pm – 2:30pm

Dedicated Exhibition Time: 30 minutes

2:30pm – 3:30pm

Keynote Speaker 2: Melissa Clarke-Reynolds

3:30pm – 4:00pm

Dedicated Exhibition Time: 30 minutes

4:00pm – 5:00pm

Keynote Speaker 3: Gilbert Enoka

5:00pm – 7:00pm

Mitre 10 Great Apprentice Race and Happy Hour: now 2 hours!

Saturday 22 June 2024 8:00am

Registration Desk opens

9:00am – 10:00am

Educational Workshop Round One: Stream One, Stream Two and the NEW Walking Bus

10:00am – 11:00am

Dedicated Exhibition Time: 1 hour

10:00am – 10:30am

Morning Tea

11:00am – 12:00pm

Education Workshop Round Two: Stream One, Stream Two and the NEW Walking Bus

12:00pm – 1:00pm

Education Workshop Round Three: Stream One, Stream Two and the NEW Walking Bus

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Dedicated Exhibition Time: 1 hour

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Lunch

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Education Workshop Round Four: Stream One, Stream Two and the NEW Walking Bus

2:00pm – 3.30pm

NZCB Apprentice Challenge Speeches: 1.5 hours new time!

3:30pm – 4:00pm

Official Conference Closing

7:00pm – midnight

NZCB Apprentice Challenge Final Awards & Gala Dinner

Agenda subject to change

Accommodation Below you will find a selection of hotels, all within 19 minutes walking distance to Tākina. We have negotiated special rates for NZCB members. West Plaza Hotel HHHH

Novotel HHHH

InterContinental HHHH

7-minute walk to Tākina

19-minute walk to Tākina

13-minute walk to Tākina

110 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington Phone: 0800 731 444 Email: reservations@westplaza.co.nz

133 The Terrace, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011 Phone: 04 918 1900

2 Grey Street, Wellington Central, Wellington Phone: 04 472 2722

Queen Rooms – $190 or $215 including breakfast (prices include GST and are for one person per night) Use promo code: HB1199

NZCB members – 15% discount www.accorevents.com/offers/ nzcb-conference-expo-takina

www.wellington.intercontinental.com

Ibis HHHH

QT Wellington HHHH

Copthorne Hotel Wellington Oriental Bay HHHH

14-minute walk to Tākina

2-minute walk to Tākina

8-minute walk to Tākina

153 Featherston Street, Wellington Central, Wellington Phone: 04 496 1880

90 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington Phone: 04 802 8900

100 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, Wellington Phone: 04 385 0279

NZCB members – 10% discount www.accorevents.com/offers/ nzcb-conference-expo-takina

www.qthotels.com/wellington Use promo code: NZCBC24

For more information and to register visit: www.events.nzcb.nz

www.millenniumhotels.com/en/wellington/ copthorne-hotel-wellington-oriental-bay NZCB members – 15% discount

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save up to $8,500

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renault.co.nz/new-trafic *Advertised price is for Renault TRAFIC MWB Auto. On-road costs and clean car fees are additional. Offer valid until 31 Jan 2024.

EVENTS

CANTERBURY Canterbury Social Bowling strikes success The New Zealand Certified Builders Canterbury Region held its first Social Bowling night in September, at Zone Bowling in Christchurch. Members could put together a team of their choice; work mates, family, friends, with the entry fee being subsidised by the Canterbury Committee. With 12 teams entered, it was fantastic to see such a good turnout. Laughs and banter could be heard, with some serious bowling on display and a few who were happy with their bowl not landing in the gutter! Prizes were awarded to individual bowlers (1st, 2nd, 3rd), a wooden spoon award, and prizes for teams. A big thanks to Hamptons ITM, Dyers Road ITM, Noel Leeming, and ICIB Brokerweb. Without them, prizes wouldn’t have been possible on the night. Tony Lindley NZCB President Canterbury

Family Fun Day at the Auckland Zoo

AUCKLAND

The New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) Auckland Committee recently held their first Family Fun Day since before Covid! On Saturday, 16 September, over 65 Auckland members, along with their families, descended on the Auckland Zoo to enjoy a much-deserved day out from their working week. Members were invited to enjoy a fun day at the Auckland Zoo with their loved ones alongside other NZCB families. The Auckland Committee was there to welcome them, with the children

receiving a special NZCB 25-year anniversary sticker upon their arrival and a voucher to claim a treat at the Zoo cafe during the day. While everyone was free to roam and enjoy the zoo as they saw fit, it was great to be able to catch up with some of our members in a casual setting, meet their families, and hear more about what they are up to. The Auckland Committee has been putting a lot of effort into arranging varied events for our members, including educational days and minglers. These more social gatherings are just as important, if not more so during challenging times. The very positive response from our Auckland members to this Family Fun Day gave us confidence that this family-oriented day was just what they were after. We hope everyone had a great time and look forward to meeting more families at similar events in the future.

Barbara MacGregor NZCB President Auckland

2024 2024

Are you up for the challenge? Applications for the 2024 NZCB Apprentice Challenge are now open!

REGIONAL CHALLENGES

SAT 6 APRIL 2024

WHERE: ITM STORES NATIONWIDE + selected venues

Competitors will be tasked to complete a challenging project for a specific end user within the allotted 8.0 hours. Thanks to ITM’s sponsorship, every competitor will receive a prize pack for participating as well as major prizes up for grabs for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place getters!

NATIONAL FINAL

The Challenge is open to apprentices employed by NZCB builders. *conditions apply

WELLINGTON

21 – 22

JUNE 2024

How much does it cost to enter? NZCB Apprentice Network Trainee Member = FREE Apprentices not enrolled as NZCB Trainee Members = $50.00

Have you got what it takes to go all the way? For terms and conditions or to apply check out, www.apprenticechallenge.nz

#nzcbapprenticechallenge *The fine print: Competitors can be at any stage of their apprenticeship, regardless of age or experience and if they are lucky enough to progress to the National Final in June 2024, they must still be a current apprentice. Competitors must be enrolled in a recognised apprenticeship programme and must be up to date with any associated apprenticeship fees or training related expenses.

APPRENTICE SUPPORT

Shaping the future: advances in apprenticeships In the world of apprenticeships and training, there has been a significant surge of activity within the Apprentice Network. This article sheds light on these developments and other key milestones, such as the Train the Trainer pilot course, New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) participation in the Te Pūkenga Carpentry Hui, the successful launch of the NZCB Apprentice Network in Auckland and Christchurch, changes to the Apprenticeship Scholarship Trust (AST Trust), and the groundbreaking news that the NZCB Apprentice Network is now available free of charge. These noteworthy advancements further reinforce the support NZCB provides to apprentices and their employers. Train the Trainer Pilot Course Over the August – September period, NZCB, in association with Vertical Horizonz New Zealand (VHNZ), conducted a Train the Trainer pilot course in Auckland. Under Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, it is expected that apprenticeship training will move to a focused on-site delivery model. With this in mind, selected Business Members over a four-week period undertook and provided feedback on how NZCB, in conjunction with VHNZ, can assist our members who employ or train apprentices. VHNZ is a private training provider recommended to NZCB by Waihanga Ara Rau, the Workforce Development Council for Construction and Infrastructure, which supported this industry-led initiative. As a result, from 2024 onwards, NZCB will offer targeted Train the Trainer programmes in major metros for members and their staff who work with apprentices.

Auckland NZCB Members – Train the Trainer Pilot Course.

Te Pūkenga Carpentry Hui – Annual Carpentry Tutors Conference

At the time of writing this article, NZCB and Te Pūkenga were in discussions about introducing a nationwide Industry Partnership Agreement. This will ensure the long-standing relationship NZCB has had with Industry Training Providers, previously via the Industry Training Association Building (ITAB) Apprenticeship Programme, will continue. Ensuring both organisations have a conduit for providing support, guidance, and education leading to quality trained apprentices.

NZCB Territory Manager South Island, Nick Mooney and I attended the Te Pūkenga Carpentry Hui from 28-29 September 2023, at Ara Institute of Canterbury in Christchurch. Nick Mooney joined in with other industry supporters to host a mini expo, and I presented the NZCB Apprentice Network to delegates, informing them of NZCB’s commitment to quality training and apprenticeship pathways.

Auckland and Christchurch launch of Apprentice Network The NZCB Apprentice Network was launched in Auckland and Christchurch in early October. The Auckland event was held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and attendees included employers, apprentices, and industry representatives, including training providers and NZCB’s partners. Both events were well attended with positive feedback. Apprentices and employers who attended the Auckland and Christchurch events received an NZCB Apprentice Network goodie bag loaded with products from NZCB, Winstone Wallboards (GIB®), and Mitre 10 Trade. I outlined the intention of the Apprentice Network for the NZCB membership and the benefits to our members and their apprentice employees. Many thanks and acknowledgement to the sponsors as well as NZCB‘s Chief Executive Malcolm Fleming and NZCB Board Chairperson Nick Farrelly for supporting these events.

Nick Matthews presenting to Te Pūkenga Carpentry tutors.

Breaking News: NZCB Apprentice Network is NOW FREE to enrol!

It’s exciting to know all apprentices aligned to NZCB under the Apprentice Network will benefit from the new initiatives. These could include (but are not limited to) annual excellence awards, scholarships to organisations like Outward Bound, and access to higher education and learning programmes. Grants awarded by the NZCB Apprentice Trust will be published in NZCB’s InHouse magazine, allowing for privacy of the applicant and their application.

Following the considerable media attention received by NZCB’s formal launch of the NZCB Apprentice Network programme, and the favourable reception it received, it’s clear NZCB plays a critical role in supporting our members who employ and train apprentices. That’s why the NZCB Board has decided to waive the programme application fee. An apprentice employed by an NZCB Business Member can now become a Trainee Member of the Association at no charge.

Regional support and sources of income I recently attend the Bay of Islands/Far North (BOI/FN) Charity Golf Day. It was a fantastic event supported by passionate industry suppliers, NZCB members, and their subcontractors, who together raised money for the NZCB Apprentice Trust. It was fitting that NZCB members from the Far North were the first to donate to the newly reformed NZCB Apprentice Trust, as it was Northland members that identified the need and supported the establishment of the original AST back in 2007.

Those NZCB Business Members who have paid Trainee Membership subscriptions for their apprentices will be fully reimbursed.

Early rewards for incentive offering NZCB members who took the initiative and enrolled their apprentices early into the programme have received free tools thanks to PlaceMakers, who kindly sponsored packs of Milwaukee hand tools and PPE for the first 20 Trainee Members of the Apprentice Network. Pictured right is apprentice Josh Hayes from Paul James Builders Limited proudly displaying his new kit!

The 2023 BOI/FN Charity Golf Day raised $5,000, which was generously donated to the NZCB Apprentice Trust. Many thanks to NZCB President BOI/FN, Matt Hatchard and his NZCB team for your support to the Trust, a fantastic result! Other NZCB regions are encouraged to consider the NZCB Apprentice Trust alongside their own chosen charity when planning and hosting fundraising events. All donations are gratefully accepted with thanks. Other events and sources of income for the Apprentice Trust from 2024 onwards will include the proceeds raised from the sales of Apprentice Challenge projects, including a nominal entry fee for non-NZCB Apprentices competing in the Apprentice Challenge. A silent charity auction will be held during the Friday evening happy hour at the NZCB National Conference & Expo, raising funds for the NZCB Apprentice Trust by conference delegates and supporters of our industry.

For more information and to apply, please visit: www.nzcb.nz/members/apprentice-network/

The NZCB Apprentice Trust

The NZCB Apprentice Trust (formally the AST) has undergone some changes. The withdrawal of the ITAB Apprenticeship Programme identified an opportunity to evolve and re-establish a Trust to support apprentices employed by NZCB members. Previously, members of NZCB not aligned with ITAB could not access the AST. However, the recently renamed and revised NZCB Apprentice Trust will support all apprentices enrolled and aligned to the Apprentice Network. As mentioned above, the NZCB Apprentice Network is now FREE, and a benefit is access to and support from the NZCB Apprentice Trust. The new trust comprises NZCB and industry representatives, who met in October to discuss the expansion of the Trust, its activities, and how it can best support NZCB Trainee Member apprentices.

Matt Hatchard addressing the golfers at the NZCB Bay of Islands Charity Golf Day.

The NZCB Apprentice Trust will support NZCB Trainee Member apprentices and has the potential to be a key component of NZCB’s offerings to the next generation of tradespeople and NZCB members.

The trustees of the NZCB Apprentice Trust are: •● Brian Dillon – Te Pūkenga, National Ako Network Director Construction and Infrastructure •● Dave Whitehead – Lifebuilt Construction Limited •● Mike Craig – Mike Craig Builders •● Garry Nott – Tasman Homes •● Niamh Barraud – Windy City Builders Limited

Nick Matthews NZCB Industry Pathways and Apprenticeship Manager 69

APPRENTICE SUPPORT

Introducing the Critical Skills Apprenticeship Programme Earlier this year, Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), a business division of Te Pūkenga and workplace training provider, Education Unlimited, joined forces to run an Apprentice Support Programme for 15 Te Tai Tokerau apprentices. Apprentices from south of Whangārei, the Bay of Islands including Kerikeri, Opua and Russell joined together once a month in Kerikeri.

saw some great results and garnered some encouraging support from employers.

The Critical Skills Apprenticeship Programme has been designed to boost apprenticeship success and help aspiring tradies navigate the formal aspects of their mahi.

“Many of the employers feel their apprentices are more confident following the workshops and that their communication skills got better. Before the course only two of the apprentices had been through the Site Safe programme, there was also an increase in completion on the BCITO training portal,” continues Tina.

Tina Rose, Director at Education Unlimited knew the programme was needed to provide additional support for Te Tai Tokerau apprentices. She says this vast region of Northland is difficult for BCITO Training Advisors to visit their trainees and provide them with the support required.

Feedback from apprentices was also extremely encouraging, one of whom described a session as “the best day they’d had in two weeks”, while another said it provided them with a sense of community.

“We designed five workshops spread across five months which focused on a range of different things. For example, the basics of the BCITO training portal, how to navigate it, and supporting the apprentices to get into good habits with taking/uploading photos from on-site. There was also a focus on financial literacy and numeracy, along with discussions around well-being, mindsets, the importance of mental health, and SMART goals.

“I didn’t realise that there were others that struggle like me. It is nice being able to interact with other apprentices feeling the same as me.” Following the pilot in Kerikeri there is another cohort about to start in Whangārei and hope that eventually the programme will be rolled out region by region, nationwide.

“The workshops made up the bulk of the five-month programme, along with additional one-on-one sessions for each apprentice. Learners who completed the programme gained their Site Safe Foundation Passport in Building Construction, a GoodYarn mental health awareness certificate, along with developing their skills in time management, problem-solving, and workplace communication,” says Tina.

Aotearoa New Zealand needs more people from all backgrounds to consider a career in the trades. BCITO has the resources and support systems in place to ensure everyone has an equal shot at success. To learn more, head to www.bcito.org.nz.

Employers were welcome to join the workshops, while BCITO Training Advisors were also present at all five. The programme

BCITO. Through on-the-job training and regular guidance, BCITO is building a skilled workforce in which talented people can excel. Alongside our industry employers, we create futures for dedicated tradies. We help them develop successful careers and become valuable contributors in New Zealand’s building and construction industry. We honour and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi in all we do.

This guide is based on the Bristol Stool Chart Type 1: Severe Constipation

Type 2: Mild Constipation

Type 3: Normal

Lumpy and sausage like

A sausage shape with cracks

Separate hard lumps

Type 3: Normal

Like a smooth, soft sausage or snake

in the surface

Type 5: Lacking Fibre

Type 6: Mild Diarrhea

Type 7: Severe Diarrhea

Soft blobs with clear cut edges

Mushy consistency with ragged edges

Liquid consistency with no solid pieces

Chart your normal below! Save this chart to your computer and enter your type# in each day. Or take a screenshot of this chart on your smartphone, ‘edit’ your pics to chart your normal and create a photo record on your camera roll. Go to your GP if your ‘normal’ changes. Use this chart to say how your normal has changed, and for what period of time. Daily Chart | My Month :

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Inspired colour choices with Haier ovens Global appliances brand Haier has just released its latest oven range, and it’s one to watch. Available in four colours, these seven-function ovens offer greater design choice to suit modern and traditional kitchens alike. The new range of Haier ovens provide freedom of creative expression. Whether you’re after a timeless look or want to showcase your unique design personality, these ovens are a perfect complement to your kitchen style. They feature various styling options such as dark or light glass, and a contemporary square or classic curved handle.

The impressive performance of these ovens matches their stylish exteriors. Boasting intuitive functionality, self-cleaning catalytic side panels, and features like the Air Fry function, Haier’s new oven range is on-trend in design and in cooking styles.

Haier’s 60cm, 7-function ovens in four colour choices are available nationwide

A subtle light grey to brighten your kitchen

Sophisticated mid grey for the perfect balance

A stainless steel for a striking look

Absolute black for a modern finish

Light grey adds warmth and freshness. With the ability to complement a wide range of materials and textures, it creates a versatile canvas for your space.

Mid grey is the perfect colour to pair bold accents or striking features in your kitchen. It adds a touch of visual interest and depth to your kitchen and can be paired with a matching mid-grey cooktop.

Stainless steel ovens add a sleek and modern look to any kitchen style. The reflective surface blends seamlessly with various colours and can complement both warm and cool tones.

Strong and absolute, this black glass oven can recede into dark kitchen environments or create a dramatic contrast against lighter cabinets and benchtops.

NZCB and Haier

Key features of the Haier 60cm wall ovens

As a NZCB member, you have access to Haier appliances through Fisher & Paykel at very competitive prices. Prices are updated monthly and are confidential to NZCB members only – these are not to be discussed with any other retail outlet.

• Seven oven functions including Air Fry, Pastry Plus and Pizza Plus • Easy cleaning with self-cleaning catalytic side panels • Even convection heating on every shelf

How do I get a price for an appliance?

• Telescopic non-tip shelves

When you find what you are looking for, take note of the product code and email Kirsty at the NZCB National Support Office. She will come back to you with a price and the availability of that product.

• Triple-glazed door that remains cool to touch on the outside To explore the Haier range visit www.haier.co.nz/cooking/

If you decide you would like to proceed with an ordered, an invoice will generate and emailed to you. Payment is required in full before your order can be placed. It’s that simple! Any questions or if you would like a price, please email Kirsty, kirsty@nzcb.nz

INTRODUCING HAZARDCO’S

FOUNDATION TOOLBOX H&S COURSE Powered by BeSafe, now included in your HazardCo membership!

This course would normally cost $115+GST per person, but as a HazardCo Premium or Complete member, you get exclusive FREE access to this online course for you and your team.

The training covers: Awareness of H&S risks on-site How to use HazardCo tools to manage H&S on-site What part do you need to play in H&S on-site

A key part of Contractor Management is ensuring the capability of your contractors. Call us today to find out how you can get access to this course for your staff and your contractors on-site too.

0800 555 339 INFO@HAZARDCO.COM

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Hardwood decking handling and installation All decking should be kept dry before installation. Storage of decking on-site should be in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight and elevated on bearers approximately 100mm from the ground. Span Airflow

The maximum suggested span for 19mm thick hardwood decking is for joists to be at 450mm centres.

Board spacing Board spacing should allow for air circulation and drainage and also take into account seasonal movement. All timber will shrink as the timber dries and swell as it takes on moisture. The degree to which this occurs will vary depending on timber species and site conditions, particularly relating to the degree of ventilation provided.

ckin

Jois

As a guide to allow for this movement, space boards as follows:

5-7

are

• 65 and 90mm width boards: Minimum 4mm gap

rds

e pB

• 140mm width boards: Minimum 6mm gap Piles

Ventilation and drainage Adequate ventilation of the deck is essential for long-term stability. Allowing air to freely circulate around the deck will reduce the moisture differential between the top and underneath of the boards, minimising the likelihood of cupping and distortion following installation.

For fastening 140x19mm decking, it is recommended to use:

To achieve proper ventilation, the deck should have at least 450mm ground clearance. Adequate drainage is also essential.

• 10gx65mm stainless steel 316 grade decking screws. Pilot holes should be 15mm from the edge and ends. • For fastening 65mm or 90x19mm decking, 10gx50mm stainless steel 316 grade decking screws can be used, or alternatively, 65mm annular grooved stainless steel 316 grade decking nails. If nailing, pilot holes should be 12mm from the board edge.

Fastening All decking boards should have two pre-drilled pilot holes per joist. Pilot holes should penetrate through the decking and not the radiata joist.

End sealing End checking and splitting can occur when decking boards are cut to length. After you crosscut the decking, it is recommended to re-seal the cut ends with a suitable end-grain sealer. This is particularly important if the end-grain is left exposed and a picture-frame design is not used.

Coated timber Maintenance is the same as for an uncoated deck but also inspect the deck annually for signs of peeling, discolouration or excessive wear to the coating. At least annually or as the coating shows signs of wear; apply a fresh coat or two of the last product used, as per the product manufacturer’s application instructions.

Coating

Why buy environmentally certified timber?

Decking can be coated on all four sides prior to delivery with exterior wood oil using Rosenfeld Kidson’s PrecisionCoat service. This is offered as a clear ‘sacrificial’ coat to reduce the potential for movement and aid in the seasoning process or as naturally pigmented oil to slow discolouration.

The primary objective for third-party environmental certification bodies is to prevent deforestation. How do they achieve this objective? By auditing forest operations to a prescribed set of standards that ensure a sustainable, fair, and safe employment alternative for local populations from where the timber is sourced.

Maintenance Uncoated timber Maintenance of your hardwood deck will vary depending on the location of the deck, its construction, and many other factors like aspect, drainage, coating, profile, and usage. Your deck should be cleaned at least twice annually to remove debris, accumulated dirt, and surface mould. A hard-bristled brush or low-pressure water blast will give the best results. Chemical cleaning products that can be effective are also available.

When these opportunities are not given, local populations may have to resort to other more environmentally destructive forms of employment, such as illegal forestry, agriculture, and mining, which also often do not respect indigenous landowner rights or employ health and safety to international standards. By providing sustainable, safe and fair employment opportunities, environmentally certified timber operations prevent deforestation. Rosenfeld Kidson. A NZCB National Partners and one of the country’s leading suppliers of quality hardwood decking. With the most comprehensive range of environmentally certified hardwood decking timbers available, they can offer solutions for any commercial, public or residential situation. Alternatives like Garapa, Vitex, and Kwila provide a range of attractive, hard-wearing options. www.rosenfeldkidson.co.nz

Are you in dispute over the interior finishing and completion of a project? We have specialised assessors who can provide an independent report to review what has happened - call AWCI today.

IN THE MEDIA

AUTHOR: Carmen Hall SECTION: GENERAL NEWS PAGE: 1 PRINTED SIZE: 931.00cm² REGION: NZ WORDS: 1184 ITEM ID: 1947379970

ARTICLE TYPE: NEWS IT MARKET: New Zealand

09 OCT, 2023

Inside the push to get more women tradies

NZCB in the media

Bay of Plenty Times, Tauranga Bay of Plenty

Inside the push to get more women tradies Bay of Plenty Times, Tauranga Bay of Plenty

Gender gap: Women are only 15 per cent of the workforce 09 October 2023 but that’s changing – slowly CARMEN HALL From a general labourer to a gib fixer and building apprentice, Alice Cotter is just one of the about 7 per cent of those gaining qualifications in the trade who are women. Only about 15 per cent of people in the $18.1 billion construction sector are female and while numbers are up, there are sector-wide initiatives underway aimed at further closing the gap. Leaders say the sector wants to “do better” and more diversity could help address labour shortages. Cotter said she decided to pursue a building career to use her “brain a bit more”, despite loving her previous jobs. She started with Hawes Building Solutions in Tauranga about 18 months ago and has not looked back. “There’s a lot of variation and no day is the same. I’m not the type of a person to sit at a desk all day so I like that it is physical and there is so much to learn.” Working with an otherwise all-male team was “awesome” and the 23-year-old could see the irony after going to an all-girls school and playing football in an all-girls team. “I think it’s funny as women have the stereotype of being dramatic and cliquey... but it definitely goes both ways. Having the right crew to work with is definitely the key.” In the future, Cotter hoped to start her own business. Her boss Mark Hawes said Cotter – who came recommended by a sparkie – was doing well on the tools and brought a new dynamic to the team. Rebecca Chamberlain never dreamed she would work with her dad Ian at his Taupō carpentry and joinery business but now she could not imagine doing anything else. The 21-year-old, third-year building apprentice said she fell into the career following Covid and it was going very well. Being the daughter’s boss and in a male-dominated industry had challenges but Chamberlain said she had learnt to put up with a bit of stick and could hold her own on the tools. “I am having so much fun and it’s amazing. We are a smaller company so we are not all about new builds, we do a lot of renovations and small alterations. I’ve been doing bathroom rip-outs with another guy and I really enjoy doing those.” She was sick of people asking if she would take over the company reins some day but said the idea was growing on her. “I’m thinking that would be really cool, it’s a long way off but who knows, it could be in the pipeline.” New Zealand Certified Builders mentor Niamh Short said the skills required to run successful job sites were not gender-specific. “Men and women alike are diverse in what they’re good at. Hard workers and good learners can excel in those, regardless of gender or anything else.” The organisation had established an Apprentice Network to provide wrap-around educational and wellbeing support to apprentices. Another initiative, Train the Trainers, was designed to teach employers and support apprentices through a series of modules. The mother-of-three from Wellington was in her early 30s when she qualified and went on to start her own business. Short was inspired by her builder father-in-law and her own house renovation experience. “I did labouring for about six months before deciding to sign up for an apprenticeship. I had to get over my own gendered voice in my head, telling me this isn’t what stayat-home mums do. “I loved being on site, I loved the physicality, the mental challenge, the on-site banter and the creativity.” Diversity was a gain, however you looked at it, she said. “Learning from others, watching how they problem-solve or tackle situations advantages everyone in the long run.” Registered Master Builders’ head of strategy, Sarah Walker, said it supported the drive for greater diversity and inclusion in the building and construction sector – because it only led to positive outcomes. “We are, however, cognisant there’s a long way to go – especially when it comes to female representation. Master Builders is also committed to ensuring our members see the value in nurturing and supporting women into leadership roles, because to make real headway we need others

rallying behind the cause.” She said it was vital to train and retain good people to address labour shortages, and increasing diversity deepened the talent pool and made the sector more attractive to career-seekers. National Association of Women in Construction media and communications manager Jen Tyson said the issue was not just about women. “It’s about our economy and addressing general skills shortages in construction. It’s about getting women of all ethnicities into productive careers that pay well, are rewarding and can help to build our nation.” The association had more than 1600 members and was growing. They included surveyors, project managers, suppliers, planners, designers, architects, engineers, tradespeople, students, apprentices, health and safety managers and lawyers. Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), Te Pūkenga director Greg Curkin said in 2015 fewer than 1 per cent of building and construction apprentices were women. Now nearly 7 per cent of carpentry, painting and decorating, and timber joinery apprentices were female. He said growth stagnated slightly in the last three years, with female apprentice numbers remaining just over 1000 while males were closer to 19,000. “We want to do better as a sector... supporting female apprentices to ensure a diverse sector and a strong pipeline of talent.” It recently launched the Women ŏŃÍì ŧƹƹìƛ Ńơ ÝŧŃŝĭ ¯in Trades Campaign which aimed toÂǌŃŏÝŃŝĭ encourage women to pursue ¯ŽŽƛìŝƹŃÍìơĽŃŽ Ńŝ building and construction careers, breaking barriers gender ¯ǌƛ¯ŝĭ¯Ƅ xĽŧƹŧ Ƴand ŏìǛfostering ¯Ńƛŝơ diversity in traditionally male-dominated fields. By 2025, BCITO aimed for women to make up 10 per cent of apprentices and 30 per cent in construction trades. Toi Ohomai Te Pūkenga head of marketing, engagement and communication Jessica Barnett said women were valued in the trades.

Alice Cotter is doing a building apprenticeship in Tauranga.

“They are recognised for being quick and eager learners, work well with their peers, and show good attention to detail.” It had 243 carpentry, construction, engineering and electrical students last year and 17 per cent were female. In 2021 there were 231 students, 14 per cent female. This year it introduced Wāhine Māia, which opened space for women in trades programmes to come together regularly and hear from guest speakers about pathways and the realities of working in male-dominated environments. The Building and Construction Sector Trends 2022 report by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment showed only 15 per cent of the industry’s workforce were women. But, from 2012-22, the number of females rose by 93.7 per cent to 20,500 of the 295,300 workforce.

PìłìăÕ ăŧþ ¯Ļł ČÆ ŴČþ¯ă ìă ŧ

Change likely in industry slowdown ÍŧŝƹŃŝǌìÝ ąƛŧŗ Ű

¡¯ŏōìƛÚ ơ¯ŃÝ Ńƹ ơǌŽŽŧƛƹìÝ ƹĽì ÝƛŃǙì ąŧƛ ĭƛì¯ƹìƛ ÝŃǙìƛơŃƹǜ ¯ŝÝ ŃŝÍŏǌơŃŧŝ Ńŝ ƹĽì Ľŧǌơì ƛìŝŧǙ¯ƹŃŧŝ ìǛŽìƛŃìŝÍìƄ ÂǌŃŏÝŃŝĭ ¯ŝÝ ÍŧŝơƹƛǌÍƹŃŧŝ ơìÍƹŧƛ ú ƑE ÝŃÝ ŏ¯ÂŧǌƛŃŝĭ ąŧƛ ¯Âŧǌƹ ơŃǛ ÂìÍ¯ǌơì Ńƹ ŧŝŏǜ ŏìÝ ƹŧ ŽŧơŃƹŃǙì ŧǌƹŁ ŗŧŝƹĽơ Âìąŧƛì ÝìÍŃÝŃŝĭ ƹŧ ơŃĭŝ ǌŽ ąŧƛ ÍŧŗìơƄ ¯ŝ ¯ŽŽƛìŝƹŃÍìơĽŃŽƄ E Ľ¯Ý ƹŧ ĭìƹ ŧǙìƛ Ƒ¡ì ¯ƛìÚ ĽŧǚìǙìƛÚ ÍŧĭŝŃơ¯ŝƹ ŗǜ ŧǚŝ ĭìŝÝìƛìÝ ǙŧŃÍì Ńŝ ŗǜ Ľì¯ÝÚ Daily Times, Dunedin ƹĽìƛìƗơ ¯ ŏŧŝĭ ǚ¯ǜ ƹŧ ĭŧ úOtago ìơŽìÍŃ¯ŏŏǜ ROBIN MARTIN ƹìŏŏŃŝĭ ŗì ƹĽŃơ ŃơŝƗƹ ǚĽ¯ƹ ơƹ¯ǜŁ¯ƹŁĽŧŗì ǚĽìŝ Ńƹ Íŧŗìơ ƹŧ ąìŗ¯ŏì ƛìŽƛìơìŝƹ¯Ł 12 October 2023 ŗǌŗơ ÝŧƄ ƹŃŧŝƄ ^¯ơƹìƛ ǌŃŏÝìƛơ Ńơ ¯ŏơŧ ÍŧŗŗŃƹŁ sented, down 14% compared with the year ended July 2022. WELLINGTON: The ÂìŃŝĭ residential construction is ƑE ŏŧǙìÝ ŧŝ ơŃƹìÚ E ŏŧǙìÝindustry ƹĽì ƹìÝ ƹŧ ìŝơǌƛŃŝĭ ŧǌƛ ŗìŗÂìƛơ ơìì ƹĽì trying toŽĽǜơŃÍ¯ŏŃƹǜÚ assess what aƹĽì slowdown in the sector means number was¯ŝÝ still ơǌŽŽŧƛƹŃŝĭ considerably higher than any ŗìŝƹ¯ŏ ÍĽ¯ŏŏìŝĭìÚ ƹĽì for itsǙ¯ŏǌì That Ńŝ ŝǌƛƹǌƛŃŝĭ hundreds of thousands of workers. 12-month period before 2021. ŧŝŁơŃƹì Â¯ŝƹìƛ ¯ŝÝ ƹĽì Íƛì¯ƹŃǙŃƹǜƄƓ ǚŧŗìŝ Ńŝƹŧ ŏì¯ÝìƛơĽŃŽ ƛŧŏìơÚ ÂìÍ¯ǌơì Industry ŃǙìƛơŃƹǜ insiders say are pivoting The Specialist Trade Contractors Federation represents ǚ¯ơ companies ¯ ĭ¯ŃŝÚ ĽŧǚìǙìƛ ǜŧǌ to Ľì¯Ýǚ¯ǜ ǚì ŝììÝ renovations and additions as consents for new builds fall. ƹŧ ŗ¯ōì tradies, ƛì¯ŏ including scaffolders, plasterers, electricians, ŏŧŧōìÝ ¯ƹ ŃƹÚ ơĽì ơ¯ŃÝƄ ƛ¯ŏŏǜŃŝĭ ÂìĽŃŝÝ ƹĽì Í¯ǌơìƄƓ plumbers and many more. But someƑXì¯ƛŝŃŝĭ staff were either let goǚ¯ƹÍĽŃŝĭ or farmed out toŧƹĽìƛơ ąƛŧŗbeing ŧƹĽìƛơÚ ĽìGeneral ơ¯ŃÝ Ńƹ ǚ¯ơ ǙŃƹ¯ŏ ƹŧ ƹƛ¯Ńŝ ¯ŝÝ other firms. manager Richard Arkinstall said some Ľŧǚ ƹĽìǜ ŽƛŧÂŏìŗŁơŧŏǙì ŧƛ ƹ¯Íōŏì ĭŧŧÝ ŽìŧŽŏì ¯ÝÝƛìơơtoŏ¯Âŧǌƛ businesses wereƹŧstarting feel the pinch and Stats NZ figures show there were 3058 new homesƛìƹ¯Ńŝ ơŃƹǌ¯ƹŃŧŝơ ¯ÝǙ¯ŝƹ¯ĭìơ ìǙìƛǜŧŝì Ńŝ ¯ŝÝ ŃŝÍƛì¯ơŃŝĭ ÝŃǙìƛơŃƹǜ subcontractors were losing business and laying off staff. consented in July, down 25% compared with a year earlier.ơĽŧƛƹ¯ĭìơÚ ƹĽì aŏŧŝĭ ƛǌŝƄƓ That follows declining trend for each month so far this year.ÝììŽìŝìÝ ƹĽì Žŧŧŏ ¯ŝÝ inŗ¯Ýì But that hadƹ¯ŏìŝƹ to be understood the context of where the zìĭŃơƹìƛìÝ ^¯ơƹìƛ sector ǌŃŏÝìƛơƗ Ľì¯Ý been,¯ƹƹƛ¯ÍƹŃǙì he said. ƹŧ Í¯ƛììƛŁ The building and construction in New ZealandƹĽì sector ơìÍƹŧƛhad ŗŧƛì ŧą ơƹƛ¯ƹìĭǜ ¯ŝÝ ¯ÝǙŧÍ¯ÍǜÚ ¯ƛ¯Ľ employs 295,000 people, according to a Ministry ofơììōìƛơƄ “The market has gone from an insanely zìÂìÍÍ¯ high level of Business, Innovation and Employment report from last year. activity coming down to a more manageable level of activity. Ľ¯ŗÂìƛŁ New Zealand Certified Builders chief executive Malcolm “Now everybody gets a bit sensational andŏ¯Ńŝ saysŃơ‘oh, ¯ the Fleming said change was likely for its nearly 3000 members. market’s dropped, the market’s dropped’ but actually, we ƹĽŃƛÝŁǜì¯ƛ have just plateaued down to a level where it’s a lot more “Those builders who have been working exclusively in that ÂǌŃŏÝŃŝĭ manageable for companies to deliver the work.” new home area are having to look elsewhere for their work ¯ŽŽƛìŝƹŃÍìƄ and so that could look like, and is looking like, that those who CoreLogic yesterday released its latest Cordell have been contracting to group home builders starting to explore opportunities in the additions and alterations market and looking at opportunities in regions affected by floods and cyclones.” Group home builders were the branded operators specialising in new builds. As the sector was coming off record highs, jobs were going, Mr Fleming said. “For those companies that don’t have forward workload, yes, they will be letting go some of their people.” For the year ended in July, 43,487 new homes were con-

Construction Cost Index, which showed the residential construction sector was continuing to slow. Costs rose by 0.5% in the September quarter — the lowest jump since the end of 2020. Chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said most builders were still well placed. “Some firms may be coming under pressure, but if anything the industry has been running beyond capacity and so it’s just slowing down to some kind of normality.” New builds would not get cheaper, but construction cost inflation wasrecord, slowing, Mr Davidson said. — RNZ PMCA licensed copy. You may not further copy, reproduce, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, sha

the prior written consent of the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-09-306 1657 or email info@pmc

IN THE MEDIA

AUTHOR: Richard Loader SECTION: GENERAL NEWS PAGE: 64 PRINTED SIZE: 1052.00cm² REGION: NZ WORDS: 557 ITEM ID: 1953553647

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01 OCT, 2023

Sam shines in apprentice challenge

Sam shines in apprentice challenge Business South, South Island

RICHARD LOADER

eraldine building firm RN Building has trained the MidSouth Canterbury region’s best apprentice this year, with Sam Keenan taking out the regional heats of the annual New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge, before moving on to compete against 19 other regional winners in the national final in Christchurch in May. Sam competed against two Mid-South Canterbury apprentices at the regional heats in Ashburton in April. The competitors were given eight hours to build a fort which followed specific design plans and met minimum safety standards. With a lot of hard work, effort and a few practice runs, Sam was able to stay ahead of his tough competitors and complete 99% of his fort, with just one tiny block missing. New Zealand Certified Builders industry pathways and apprenticeship manager Nick Matthews says the competition’s regional heats demonstrated the outstanding quality and diversity of apprentices training in the industry. He says they set the bar high ahead of the national final, and were a great opportunity for communities around New Zealand to get an insight into building apprenticeship training, and to celebrate apprentices who are excelling in their field. Sam’s employer Ryan Neutze says Sam was unsure about entering the competition despite Ryan’s conviction he could do well. “He was stoked to get past the regional competition and

Business South, South Island 01 October 2023

Page 2 of 4

take part in the finals, which was a really valuable and unforgettable event, and our whole team went up to Christchurch to support him.” The national competition was all theoretical including a speech to hundreds of people at Te Pae Christchurch Conven-

tion Centre and a two-hour exam. The best apprentices in New Zealand also had their final challenge as part of the Certified Builders expo, just for fun and not part of their score, where they were tasked with building and racing a trike and trailer for the Great Apprentice Race. Sam teamed up with the competition’s overall winner Alex Erickson for this build, which while creative, actually ended up tipping over and losing a wheel during the race! Ryan says the publicity from the Apprentice Challenge has opened up some dialogue amongst the local public and RN Building clients who know Sam. “They’re all chatting and it’s a good thing to have when you’ve got a young guy starting out. People can see we have a good culture at RN Building, that we want our apprentices to have opportunities and we want them to do well.” RNGENERAL BuildingNEWS has beenARTICLE operating in Geraldine 2018. Ryan AUTHOR: Tt Russell Fredric SECTION: TYPE: NEWS ITEMsince AUDIENCE :0 PAGE: 78 PRINTED SIZE: 1319.00cm² REGION: NZin Geraldine MARKET: New Zealand N/A WORDS: 606 is born and raised and did his ASR: apprenticeship there, ITEM ID: 1945025880 before getting into group housing for a number of years. When he got to the point where he was running these pro01 OCT, 2023 jects, it was time to go out on his own. With customisable house Building off-site 'way ofplans the from future' homepacks.co.nz, client and subcontractor contractor contracts from Certified Builders, and Ryan’s expert craftsmanship and love of building, he finished up with the housing companies and was set to go. He built one house in his first six months, another two before the end of the year, and has kept Business Central, New Zealand Sam Keenan took out the regional heats of the annual growing ever since. Page 3 of 3 New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge.

BUILDING OFF-SITE ‘WAY OF THE FUTURE’

New Apprentice Network PROVIDES WRAPAROUND TRAINING SUPPORT

Russell Fredric

Business Central, NZ 01 October 2023

New Zealand Construction News, NZ | 01 Oct 2023 Taking up a carpentry trade apprenticeship is of what it actually means to work in this industry, SECTION: GENERAL NEWS ARTICLE TYPE: NEWS ITEM AUDIENCE : 0 PAGE: 3 no easy task, and employing an apprentice also New notZealand just the technical carpentry they 603 need,” PRINTED SIZE: 701.00cm² REGION: NZ MARKET: ASR: NZD 2,911 skills WORDS: new challenges for builders. It can prove says Whitehead. ITEMbrings ID: 1939190353 too much for some, leading to high levels of attriHeSam says Keenan the Apprentice Network’s emphasis heats of the annual New Zealand Certified Builders took out the regional tion,2023 which isn’t great for the apprentices who do on mental 01 OCT, health isChallenge. also a major benefit, given Apprentice notApprentice finish their qualification, their employers, or the construction sector is known to be one of the New Network the country given the need for more fully quali- worst for mental health, as reflected by suicide fied builders to meet demand and raise industry rates. standards. To address this, NZCB is launching its “It offers apprentices someone else to talk to Apprentice Network designed to provide wrap- if they don’t feel they can ask their parents, partNew Zealand Construction News, New Zealand around support to ensure both apprentices and ners, or colleagues working beside them when Page 1 of 1 HB Homes bach at Aramoana. their employers have good experiences of the there’s something going on. It also gives us as apprenticeship journey. employers someone to talk things through with, HB Homes has evolved during the past twenty dation for overseas seasonal workers and for which is really important given the pressures of years to be a producer of factory built homes school classrooms. running a business and being responsible for that have been supplied to residential and “I think New Zealand has come to realise that apprentices as well as other staff,” says Whitecommercial throughout the North building off-site is the way of the future and the HB Homes bach atcustomers Aramoana. Island and beyond. misconception of prefabricated buildings is head. Ȋ7KHUHȇV MXVW D JDS LQ WKH PDUNHW UHDOO\ DQG IRU UHPRWH Director Mark Roll has been running the Hast- largely gone. People are starting to realise what Other benefits of the Apprentice Network for ORFDWLRQV ZH MXVW IRXQG WKDW EXLOGLQJ R΍ VLWH WR GHOLYHU WR ings business, which was originally established by you can do in a prefabricated building.” employers are practical support like template remote locations really came into their own. A lot of clients his parents, since 2015 when he restarted it folFor residential houses, HB Homes offers a apprentice employment contracts and an VWUXJJOHG WR JHW EXLOGHUV RXW RI WKLV DUHD ZKHUHDV ZH FRXOG lowing a four year hiatus. range of one, three bedroom standard plans apprentice insurance package, as well as access build them in the factory and deliver them to site.” The restart was low-key but Mark had the which can be modified to suit, and can also to training on how best to teach apprentices and vision to factory build homes because of the build bespoke including architectural designs give them a great experience of the trade so they many advantages which includes reduced build and even two storey designs, in a wide variety stick with it. The Apprentice Network’s Train the times, better quality control and more stream- of materials. Trainer programme offers employers a series of lined processes compared to building on-site. The process begins with a consultation which educational modules on fostering an effective “I leased a yard to start with and then moved on as well as deciding on the design, and as with a NZCB’s Apprentice Network gives apprentices learning environment for an increasingly diverse to leasing a purpose-built factory.” conventional build, involves the choice of mateaccess to additional education and training that range of apprentices, including more women. HB Homes is now operating from its fourth rials, fixtures, fitting and colour choices. complements their Te Pūkenga-provided learnHB Homes will complete a preliminary site site since then, having grown considerably Whitehead says female apprentices face paring pathway, access to mentoring, health and from a 600 square metres building and pro- check to identify access and infrastructure PROVIDES WRAPAROUND TRAINING SUPPORT wellbeing support, including access to mental ticular challenges given worksites are still male ducing two or three houses a year to an 1800 requirements as well as determining what square metre factory plus a 2000 square metre compliance reports may be required such as health services, and a raft of deals and discounts dominated, and employers need help to understand to bestcopy, support them in navigating concrete yard, manufacturing nearly 30 aoryear geotechnical report, wastewater design, and PMCA licensed copy. You may nothow further reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, share store athis information without for products and services relevant to their trade is also a major benefit, given the construction sector is known aking up a carpentry trade apprenticeship is those challenges. during the past three years. resource consents. suchnoaseasytools andemploying fuel also get to be one of the worstPrint for mental health, as reflected by suicide Agency. Phone +64-09-306 1657 or email info@pmca.co.nz for further information. task, and anwritten apprentice They the priordiscounts. consent of the Media Copyright The factory has the capacity to build 12 HB Homes standard designs have Hastings “We need to attract more women into the rates. also brings entry new challenges for builders. It can Apprentice preferential to NZCB’s annual licensed copy. may not further copy, reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, distribute, share or store this information without “It offers apprentices someone to talk them to if theythroughout don’t feel prove too much for some, leading to high levels houses atYou once. District Council pre-approved building contrades andelseretain their appren- PMCA Challenge and theisn’tannual Conference and the prior written consent of the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-09-306 1657 or email info@pmca.co.nz for further information. they can ask their parents, partners, or colleagues working of attrition, which great forNZCB the apprensents and only require on-site consents for ser“There’s just a gap in the market really, and ticeships and beyond, it’s usfantastic that there beside them when there’s something going on. It and also gives notaccess finish their to qualification, their Expo,tices aswho welldoas grants through NZCB’s for remote locations, we just found that build- vices and foundations with the local authority. as employers someone to talk things through which employers, or the country given the need for is a specific focus onwith,this in isthe Apprentice NetApprentice Trust. really important given the pressures of running a business and more fully qualified builders to meet demand and raise industry ing off-site to deliver to remote locations really “We have developed a streamlined off-site Trainasthe series,” being responsiblework’s for apprentices wellTrainer as other staff,” says he says. standards. ToDave addressWhitehead, this, NZCB is launching its Apprentice owner of Lifebuilt Construccame into their own. A lot of clients struggled building process, and while we’re building your Whitehead. Network designed to provide wraparound support to ensure Membership of the NZCB Apprentice Network tion Ltd has piloted theof Apprentice to get builders out of this area, whereas we home in a weatherproof environment, the Other benefits of the Apprentice Network for employers are both apprentices and in theirAuckland, employers have good experiences to apprentice any apprentice practical template employmentemployed by an NZCB the apprenticeship journey. could build them in the factory and deliver on-site services such as water and power are Network with his own team of apprentices andsupportislikeopen contracts and anBusiness apprentice insurance package, as well asregardless of what NZCB’s Apprentice Network gives apprentices access to Member builder, them to site.” also done in preparation for delivery day which it provides apprentices underto training on how best to teach apprentices and give additionalsays education and training that complements with their Tea realaccess stage they are at in their apprenticeship, with Delivery of HB homes is not limited to the saves time and money. All that’s missing is your them a great experience of the trade so they stick with it. The Pūkenga-provided learning pathway, access to mentoring, standing of what it means to work in the industry. Apprentice Network’s Train the Trainer programme offers health and wellbeing support, including access to mental furniture and the personal things that make it an annual subscription fee to be paid by the North Island; the company delivered three “A lot of builders who employ apprenticesemployers believea series of educational modules on fostering an health services, and a raft of deals and discounts for products houses for emergency housing to Westport in yours.” effective learningemployer. environment for an increasingly diverse range and services to their trade such as tools and but fuel I want a in relevant the school of hard knocks, better the West Coast of the South Island following HB Homes, through its parent company, is of apprentices, including moreit’s women. discounts. They also get preferential entry to NZCB’s annual “While another cost for our member buildtrade-training experience for my people. The Whitehead says female apprentices face particular challenges Apprentice Challenge and the annual NZCB Conference and the serious flood event of 2021. a member of industry organisations OffisiteNZ ersstillwho, like all small business Apprentice Network them access given to eduworksites are male dominated, and employers need owners, are facExpo, as well as access to grants throughgives NZCB’s Apprentice and New Zealand Certified Builders, and “Three weeks after the floods they had the to understand to best costs support them Trust. inghowrising on ain navigating number of other fronts, I’d cation on everything from contracts andhelp insuradheres to strict guidelines for achieving the buildings there.” those challenges. Dave Whitehead, owner of Lifebuilt Construction Ltd in encourage them to consider it an investment in ance to marketing and dealing with customers. “We need to attract more women into the trades and retain Auckland, has piloted the Apprentice Network with his own Commercial houses supplied have included highest possible standards in workmanship and them throughoutproductivity their apprenticeships beyond, and it’s team of apprentices andequipping says it provides apprentices real andandstaff retention.” It’s about them withwith an aunderstanding police stations, medical facilities, accommo- business practice. fantastic that there is a specific focus on this in the Apprentice understanding of what it means to work in the industry.

“A lot of builders who employ apprentices believe in the school of hard knocks, but I want a better trade-training experience for my people. The Apprentice Network gives them access to education on everything from contracts and insurance to marketing and dealing with customers. It’s about equipping them with an understanding of what it actually means to work in this industry, not just the technical carpentry skills they need,” says Whitehead.

ot topic

New Apprentice Network

Network’s Train the Trainer series,” he says. Membership of the NZCB Apprentice Network is open to any apprentice employed by an NZCB Business Member builder, regardless of what stage they are at in their apprenticeship, with an annual subscription fee to be paid by the employer. “While it’s another cost for our member builders who, like all small business owners, are facing rising costs on a number of other fronts, I’d encourage them to consider it an investment in

IN THE MEDIA

Apprenticeship numbers at record high but fears rife for ageing tradie workforce and recession recovery

nzherald.co.nz 25 September 2023

CARMEN HALL

The plumbing sector is facing an array of issues including a tradie shortfall and an aging workforce. Photo / 123RF With thousands of Kiwi tradies aged over 65, there are fears the ageing workforce will worsen the skill shortage, in spite of apprenticeship schemes booming and more than $652 million paid to employers. Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ chief executive Greg Wallace said its board found 25 per cent of licence holders across New Zealand were 65 and over. “If the majority of those retire in the next five years you have to build your industry by 25 per cent just to stay neutral. The thing is we are still not training enough people for the current workforce.” He acknowledged residential new builds had tightened but said if interest rates started to decline that could change next year. “One of the biggest failures we make is we only employ trainees and people when we are booming then we stop. You actually need to train them in all cycles so you keep a more even flow of the workforce.” “So there is a whole lot of things conspiring against us and then you have the cyclone and a massive workforce crisis around that relief.” Wallace hoped the Apprenticeship Boost scheme due to end next year would continue. His group was also advocating for new rules targeting industries in need, with employer payments based on apprenticeship performance.

Challenge had a record high of 317 entrants at the BOP Plumbing and Gas commercial manager event in August. Sarah Jamieson agreed the industry had a real issue with retiring tradespeople and that was going It had also advocated for an extension to the to continue to exacerbate its skills shortage. Apprenticeship Boost scheme. “We are doing our bit by currently training 13 BCITO Te Pūkenga acting director Greg Durkin apprentices, however we need more business to said its apprenticeship numbers had jumped 36 do this and more support around the first 12-24 per cent from 13,900 to 18,908 from August 2020 to months while they are just costing a company June 2023. money.” Across its 15 construction trades, 72 per cent Certified Builders chief executive Malcolm were in carpentry making it the most popular Fleming said about 2700, or less than 10 per cent, choice followed by painting and decorating (6 per of its members were 65 or older. cent), and timber joinery (3 per cent). “It’s a reflection that building is a demanding Durkin said there were not enough employees profession on the body, and so those who wish in the building and construction sector to meet to continue in the workforce past 65 generally the needs of the current and future construction transition to less physical roles.” pipeline. Fleming said it had developed an Apprentice He acknowledged industry volumes have Network programme to support carpentry flattened this year but it “expects demand for apprentices and their employers across the four skilled labour to remain high to meet the pressure years of training and trainee numbers had not of retiring tradies and those moving overseas”. dropped. A Ministry for Social Development spokesman “For builders who are themselves tradesaid since the establishment of Apprenticeship qualified, it is almost hard-wired into them that Boost in August 2020, 19,795 employers had they also take on an apprentice to continue the received payments for 60,965 apprentices. traditional knowledge transfer.” More than $652 million had been paid out to date Master Builders chief executive David Kelly said and the initiative was extended to the end of 2024. finding skilled labour was a hot-button issue raised Employers received $500 per month for firstin its State of the Sector findings. year and second-year apprentices in approved “The sector is working hard to train. Just programmes. under two-thirds of respondents are employing A spokeswoman from Waihanga Ara Rau apprentices and nearly half of those respondents Construction and Infrastructure Workforce said the Government’s Apprenticeship Boost Development Council said people were leaving the Scheme was a factor.” sector, partly due to ageing. However, that was just part of the equation. She said the council was the sector’s voice in the “Projects are growing in complexity and vocational education and training system to help require experienced professional management. build suitable skills. In this area, we are competing for talent on “Training is the only way the industry is going to an international stage. New Zealand needs a get the staff they need.” programme to attract workers and simplify the There were 76,815 trainees at New Zealand immigration process.” Qualifications Framework level 7 sub-degree and Master Electricians marketing and below last year, a rise of almost 10,000 on the 67,120 communications manager Daniel Jone said it in 2021. understood concerns with the skills shortage, The five-year rolling pipeline of construction ageing workforce, and shrinking pipeline due to work according to its Workforce Information population growth. Platform had also jumped from $204 billion in July Infometrics data supplied to Master Electricians 2020 to $277b now, slightly down from its $296b AUTHOR: T Sue Russell SECTION: GENERAL NEWS ARTICLE TYPE: NEWS ITEM AUDIENCE : 0 last year showed there were 21,558 people working in December PAGE: 81 peak PRINTED SIZE: 466.00cm² 2022. REGION: NZ MARKET: New Zealand ASR: N/A WORDS: 690 in the sector. In 2018 the average age of electricians ITEM ID: 1945019311 Currently, there are about 4000 plumbing, was 42 and 10 per cent were over 65. gasfitting and drainlaying apprentices. This has 01 OCT, 2023 Jone said its Master Electricians Apprentice grown from around 3000 in 2021. One community-minded business

One community-minded business Business Central, New Zealand

SUE RUSSELL BJ and Rebecca Craig operate Craig Homes Development, a Palmerston North based residential new builds and renovations business. BJ says there’s plenty of work on, as the region continues to bubble away positively. “There has been a bit of a slow down in the new builds but with the renovations we take on it keeps us productively busy,” he says. When Business Central spoke with BJ, he had three new builds and four renovations on the go at various stages. Along with BJ, who is still actively on the tools, four apprentices complete the building team. Asked how that went in the early days BJ acknowledges it was quite full-on, as the only qualified builder on sites, but things soon settled into a space where he was able to provide opportunities for the team to step out and undertake independent work from time to time. “It’s a case of measuring where they are at, how their confidence is building and then to give them the chance to complete a project, like a deck for instance, on their own. The problem-solving part is really important and you soon see their strengths and areas they need a bit more support in.” Two of the team are nearing completing their apprenticeships. BJ says that in every company he has worked in, there have been apprentices on board for him to help train. It’s an aspect of building he says he really enjoys. BJ completed his apprenticeship with Morgan Builders in Hastings and while working with Colspec Construction in Palmerston North he gained leadership and commercial

building experience. “I’ve been very fortunate to have had great support in my early days so it’s good to be in a position now to help the next generation of builders.” Apprentice Josiah Greig was awarded regional winner in the Certified Builders Apprentice competition, with fellow apprentice Kalym Smith placed second, achievements BJ is very proud of. By winning the event Josiah then had the opportunity to attend the Certified Builders conference in Christchurch, an enriching experience for the young builder. Along with Josiah and Kalym apprentice Dale Roberts and recent recruit Blake Janes completes the team. Asked to comment on the quality of the apprentice pathway, BJ says, the three monthly or so visits by the BCITO assessor, couples with his own day to day supervision and support creates a solid training experience. “Technology has come into play a lot, with the guys being able to take photos and upload them into their training portal. It works well, given the site visits are spaced apart. There are grades of achievement too which enable the apprentice to see where their strengths are and the areas they need more experience in. It’s more of a progression rather than a pass/fail process.” BJ says he employs staff based on attitude; if they want to learn and want to work then they are ‘teachable’. Getting involved early with clients’ projects is another important element contributing to the company’s success. “I’m conscious that an issue for clients is the amount of time

Business Central, New Zealand 01 October 2023

a project takes and it really helps if I can be involved, as the builder, very early on.” BJ is a great supporter of Certified Builders and believes the organisation plays an important role in supporting and promoting the building trades. There is also a valuable amount of information online that members can tap into. Every three months CHD donates blood as part of Team (YHU\ WKUHH PRQWKV &+' GRQDWHV EORRG DV SDUW RI 7HDP 5HG DV D ZD\ RI FRQWULEXWLQJ WR WKH wider community. Red, as a way of contributing to the wider community. “We think it is really important to focus on things outside ourselves and our work and this is one way to do this.” BJ says he is happy developing the current team he has and continually increasing the quality of their work. He is also very aware that contributing to the company’s success is the quality of the sub-tradies he works with. “We regularly engage the same tradespeople. Once you start forming relationships it works both ways. They support my business and we support them.”

Page 2 o

IN THE MEDIA

Kāinga Ora homes keeping builders afloat STACEY RANGITONGA

Waikato Times, online 04 October 2023

Chad Niwa Building still very busy SUE RUSSELL

Business Central, New Zealand 01 October 2023

New Plymouth residential builder Chad Niwa says the market he operates in is still very busy and that is a situation that he feels applies to many private building companies in the Taranaki region. “We’re still playing catch up with last year. Due to Covid it kind of forced us to over-commit, in a way, given the uncertainties around materials supply that developed. To keep the team busy was a priority for me and we are still in that situation,” Chad explains. Knowing it doesn’t take much to be delayed on a job and with the suppliers less able to commit to meeting delivery timeframes, having another project to fall back on was really important. Having said this though, Chad admits that demand and ‘busyness’ is definitely beginning to level off. Talking with designers, architects and business owners generally Chad says there’s a sense that a quieter time is ahead. “You get a mixed response but it would be prudent to approach 2024 with a degree of caution and care in my opinion. Architects and designers tend to be six months or so ahead of the game so if they are saying its feeling quieter for them, then that time is still in front of builders and allied sectors.” Today, the company engages seven staff, down a couple from The downturn was coming on the back of a historical high in the building industry that hadn’t been seen times,SECTION: howeverGENERAL Chad says is a good AUTHOR: recent Tt Sue Russell NEWSthis ARTICLE TYPE: comfortable NEWS ITEM AUDIENCE : 0 the 1970s, New Zealand Certified Builder’s chief executive Malcolm Fleming said. PAGE: 85 number PRINTED SIZE: REGION: and is 722.00cm² working well. He’sNZalsoMARKET: noticedNew thatZealand buildersASR: andN/A WORDS: 68 ITEM ID: 1945025882 tradespeople in Taranaki are quite willing to help each other out. Kāinga Ora is keeping the construction industry who have been in business for four or five years Naki Tiling are key partners of the business, providing services in Hamilton afloat, says a developer who’s been haven’t seen a downturn, and this is a downturn.” 01 OCT, 2023 such as tiling install, water-proofing, epoxy grout, floor grinding, Building still very busy in the game nearly 30 years. Both Chatwin and Clapson said they are Chad Niwa shower base screeding and install. Clapson Construction owner Keith Clapson getting more calls from tradespeople looking “You know everyone through one or two degrees of separation. says the state house builder now makes up the for work. It is a bit of a ‘swings and roundabouts’ sector so if you’re willing majority their work. “Over the 20-odd years to support another builder when they need it, that is a good thing, “I get lots and lots of phone calls from people Business Central, New Zealand ensuring everyone has sufficient work to keep their businesses we’ve done anything from probably 40% to 90% I’ve never heard [from] before about, ‘can I paint Pag operating at a positive level through the ups and downs.” that has been Kāinga Ora. At the moment it’s for you? Can I build for you?’ All the trades, they

definitely 90% Kāinga Ora.” Kāinga Ora’s Waikato regional director Mark Rawson said the agency currently had 748 homes under construction or contracted to be built in Hamilton. “We expect to have 500 of these new public homes ready for people to move into by mid-2024.” “For the 2022/23 financial year, we delivered 252 new public homes in the Waikato with 233 of those in Hamilton.” They were on track to deliver 850 “much needed” homes across the Waikato over the next few years, Rawson said. McQuarrie Group managing director Steve Chatwin said Kāinga Ora also made up 90% of its work over the past year and half as the state housing developer’s appetite for homes “increased significantly” while the demand from the market decreased. “So that means if you’re a developer, Housing New Zealand was one of the few big buyers that are still buying.” Chatwin said there had been a gradual reduction in construction levels in the Waikato, which began around mid last year. “There has certainly been a downtown in the property market since November 2021, but there’s always a lag effect between a downturn in the property market and the effect on construction levels. “And, whilst there’s signs the property market is turning positive or at least bottoming out in Hamilton and turning positive in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, there’s always a bit of a lag effect again on the way up.” New Zealand Certified Builders Association chief executive Malcolm Fleming said there had certainly been a “slowdown” when it came to new builds but they were seeing a “little bit of an upswing” in house alterations and additions. However, that uptick hadn’t closed the gap left by the drop off in new builds. The downturn was coming on the back of a historical high in the building industry that hadn’t been seen the 1970s, Fleming said. “The more experienced builders are more insulated than the newer to the business builders, which stands to reason. A lot of those

are looking for work,” Clapson said. However, one positive from the downturn was that they were no longer facing supply issues. “I mean, if I want some products out of my local ITM, it’s a lot easier to get deliveries now, quick as I like.” This wasn’t the case about 18 months ago, as the industry faced huge supply chain issues as well as labour shortages in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I’ve never seen it as crazy as that. You would think about building something and you’d sell it even before you’d virtually finished the plans. It was crazy.” With demand down, building consents were also being processed more quickly, he said. There were 3981 new homes consented in Waikato in the year ending August 2023, down 22% compared to August 2022, according to the latest Statistics NZ figures. However, Waikato still found itself as one of four regions with the highest number of It was always in the back of Chad’s mind to take up building as a new homes consented, including Auckland, career and make a business of it. He established the company in Canterbury and Wellington. April 2017, having completed his apprenticeship and cut his teeth A change in government could see a reduction on builds in London. in the number of Kāinga Ora new builds, When Business Central spoke with Chad he had three apprenChatwin said. tices on the books, with one nearly fully qualified. He aims to take “They have expressed an interest in reducing on a new apprentice every two years as the world demand allows. the size of Housing New Zealand and continuing He is still on the tools these days and likes it that way. “I think it adds value for our clients to deal with me and to see me actively to build state housing, but perhaps at a lesser engaged on their project. For us it’s a bit of a point of difference. rate and using community housing providers A client doesn’t get signed up then handed over to a project manrather than Housing New Zealand.” ager to engage with. I’m the name and the face of the company The National Party has promised to reform and I know my clients appreciate that direct contact.” Kāinga Ora by increasing the number of social Chad is also a member of Certified Builders and is the organhousing places funded by the Government isation’s current local President. It’s an organisation he believes and working more closely with Community does good for its members, offering start-up support and advice, Housing Providers. sample contracts, systems and documents to use. Meanwhile, Labour has said it intends to “I was only 24 when I went out on my own. I didn’t have the deliver another 6000 public homes by 2027, on ability to bounce ideas off my mates. Networking is incredibly valuable when you are starting out and all the way through the top of the 21,000 public and transitional housing development of your business. The association provides so many it says its on track to deliver by 2025. PMCA licensed copy. You mayuseful not further copy, reproduce, record, retransmit, sell, publish, sharefeet.” or store this information tools you can use, especially when you’re distribute, finding your Both developers were positive the industry the prior written consent of the Print Media Copyright Agency. Phone +64-09-306 1657 or email info@pmca.co.nz for further informat And when times get tough, advice as to how to adjust your would pick up again, even with a potential business to get through it as well as possible is really important reduction in the number of homes being built Chad says. by Kāinga Ora. “I haven’t been running my own business that long to know how “My gut feeling is by halfway through next year best to navigate when the market gets challenging, so having the things will start changing anyway... Homes will chance to talk with much more experienced builders helps a lot.” be required so I’m not too worried, it’s just a bit Chad says he really wants to put the message out to start-up quieter at the moment but we’ve got KO to fall builders to join Certified Builders, attend their meetings and get as back on.” much from meeting others in the trade as possible.

NZCB NEWS

NZCB Strategic Partners New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) would like to thank the following companies, our Strategic Partners (corporate sponsors), who play a vital part in assisting to cover costs for our members personal development/training through NZCB regional seminars, NZCB Annual Conference and monthly live Zoom webinars. Their support also assists to cover expenses with our marketing and communications.

NZCB Affinity Partners NZCB is proud to partner with the following companies, who are aligned with the Association to bring our members discounted services and products.

Cost + % discount on most Noel Leeming products

Exceptional vehicle deals with Renault, Hyundai and Isuzu

Exclusive Health Insurance packages with NIB (Business Members only)

Exclusive pricing on Fisher & Paykel and Haier products

Deals and discounts on your mobile and broadband plans

Discounted business management plans

Discounted rate on AA Business Care

Fuel Card Programme – offering discounts

25% off car, van and 4WD tyres

Fuel Card Programme – offering discounts

Discounts across a wide selection of products

Exclusive Builders’ Insurance packages

NZCB trade pricing

More information on these services and products can be found under the Member Benefits section, on the NZCB members-only Toolshed website, www.nzcb.nz/members/member-benefits/ or by contacting Kirsty at the NZCB National Support Office on 0800 237 843 or kirsty@nzcb.nz. 80

NZCB NEWS

NZCB National Partners New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) is proud to partner with the following companies who align with our Association and give NZCB members access to a wealth of expertise and support throughout New Zealand. COMPANY

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COMPANY

WEBSITE

Hilti (New Zealand) Ltd

www.hilti.com

APL Window Solutions

www.aplnz.co.nz

HomePlus

www.homeplus.co.nz

Bunnings Ltd

www.bunnings.co.nz

Independent Building Supplies

www.ibs.co.nz

Comfortech Building Performance Solutions

www.pinkbatts.co.nz

INTAKS NZ Ltd

www.intaks.co.nz

James Hardie New Zealand

www.jameshardie.co.nz

Gerard Roofs

www.gerardroofs.co.nz

PlaceMakers

www.placemakers.co.nz

JSC Premium Architectural & Building Solutions

www.jsc.co.nz

Red Stag Timber

www.redstag.co.nz

Kingspan Thermakraft Ltd

www.thermakraft.co.nz

Resene Construction Systems

www.reseneconstruction.co.nz

KLC Ltd

www.klc.co.nz

Kopine

www.kopine.co.nz

Laminex New Zealand

www.laminexnewzealand.co.nz

Marley New Zealand Ltd

www.marley.co.nz

Marshall Innovations Ltd

www.mwnz.com

MiTek New Zealand Ltd

www.miteknz.co.nz

My Smart Office Ltd

mysmartoffice.co.nz

Open2view

www.open2view.co.nz

Pacific Steel (NZ) Ltd

www.pacificsteel.co.nz

Paslode New Zealand

www.paslode.co.nz

Pro Clima New Zealand Ltd

www.proclima.co.nz

Productspec Ltd

www.productspec.net

Proven Systems Ltd (DVS)

www.dvs.co.nz

Rave Build Management

www.ravebuild.co.nz

Red LBP Ltd

www.redlbp.co.nz

Red QS Ltd

www.redqs.nz

Rosenfeld Kidson & Co. Ltd

rosenfeldkidson.co.nz

Schneider Electric

www.pdl.co.nz

Simx Ltd

www.simx.co.nz

Soudal Ltd

www.soudal.co.nz

National Partners Professional Milwaukee Tool New Zealand

www.milwaukeetools.co.nz

Resene Paints Ltd

www.resene.co.nz

Sika (NZ) Ltd

www.nzl.sika.com

National Partners Standard Abodo Wood Ltd

www.abodo.co.nz

Altus NZ Ltd

www.altus.co.nz

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions New Zealand

www.assaabloy.co.nz

Bowers Brothers Concrete Ltd

www.bowersbrothers.co.nz

Builda Price (2016) Ltd

www.buildaprice.co.nz

Connected Spaces

www.connectedspacesjoinery.co.nz

CS For Doors Ltd

www.csfordoors.co.nz

CSR Building Products (NZ) Ltd

www.csr.co.nz

ECKO Fastening Systems

www.ecko.co.nz

Enveloped Solutions Ltd NEW

www.enveloped.co.nz

FMI Building Innovation

www.aslnz.co.nz

Franklin Plumbing and Builders Supplies Ltd

www.franklins.co.nz

FreeUp

www.freeup.co.nz

Superhome Movement

www.superhome.co.nz

Futurewood

www.futurewood.nz

The Trades Coach

www.tradescoach.co.nz

GCH Aviation Ltd

www.gchaviation.com

Tile Space

www.tiles.co.nz

Green Light Escrow NEW

www.greenlightescrow.co.nz

Viking Roofspec

www.vikingroofspec.co.nz

GTEE.co.nz

www.gtee.co.nz

Warmup NZ Ltd

www.warmup.co.nz

Harvey Norman Commercial

www.harveynormancommercial.co.nz

YourQS Ltd

www.yourqs.co.nz

Supported through every stage of the build.