Message from our South Island BDM

The new normal

At the time of writing this article, COVID-19 community transmission had raised its ugly head again. As the country and our industry take a breath, we wait for the flow-on effect it will have on our lives and businesses as lockdown is enforced upon us. I’m left wondering if the effects will be as predicted. Or, ‘our team’ of five million Kiwis will recognise ‘it is, what it is’ and accept this as ‘the new normal’?

I suspect by now however, that our members will be familiar with and reasonably proficient at changing between the alert levels, including the various protocols that impact on the day-to-day running of a building project. Please be vigilant with these protocols to ensure you are not caught out, even if the non-aligned and ill-informed builder working alongside you is not so diligent. You wouldn’t want to be singled out for non-compliance, as the outcome could have a disastrous effect on your business and future workflow.

During these times, it is very important to keep up-to-date with any changes, either COVID-19 related or other industry relevant topics. To do so, I encourage you to visit the New Zealand Certified Builders (NZCB) website and login to the members only Toolshed which is updated regularly and a great source of accurate information you can trust. A visit every week or as time allows is well worth the effort. If you have never logged in or are having trouble logging in, give National Support Office a call on 0800 237 843.

It’s important to keep up-todate with any changes, either COVID-19 related or other industry relevant topics. My colleague Shane Ririnui, North Island Business Development Manager, asked me to remind you that our members only closed FaceBook page is one way that members can support each other in these challenging times. For example, you may be in the fortunate position of having too much work and not enough human resource to process it. A quick post on the closed FaceBook page could solve the problem and potentially assist a fellow NZCB member and their business when times are tight. The closed FaceBook page is also another source of information offering advice and lessons learned from experienced builders. Please be mindful however, that the responses are often opinion based and you should always complete due diligence before accepting these opinions as factual. This was highlighted to me recently by a Christchurch based builder who was dealing with a staffing issue and it turned out that the advice given on the closed FaceBook page was inaccurate. If in doubt, always consult a professional service. Contact details for a number of professional services can be found in the members only Toolshed.

NZCB Canterbury members from left Josh Woodley, Kerry Manson, Pat Coughlan, Simon McRae, NZCB Canterbury President Richard Poff with Winstone Wallboards Chief Executive, David Thomas.

You may recall in the last issue of InHouse (August/ September 2020, page 28), I wrote an article about the changes occurring within the tertiary education sector, and what effect they will have on our industry. Further detail has since been released by Government on how to access financial support available to both employers and apprentices. I encourage you to read about the financial support options available at www.workandincome.govt.nz/ work/apprentice-support/index.html and to take advantage

of these initiatives. The latest support initiative to be launched is the Regional Apprenticeships Initiative (RAI). Available to employers of apprentices at locations outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the RAI is funded by the Provincial Growth Fund and will see support for up to 1000 apprentices and their employers across a range of sectors. The initial focus is on helping recently displaced workers due to COVID-19, and Maori and Pacific peoples into apprenticeships. Further details about the RAI can be found on page 14 .

Canterbury NZCB members recently enjoyed some corporate hospitality thanks to the Winstone Wallboards, South Island based crew. Many thanks to Dale, Richard and Steve for hosting a great night of Super Rugby Aotearoa. It just happened to be a home game for the Crusaders against the ‘then’, top of the table Auckland Blues. Who could resist the opportunity? The result of the game and the 2020 competition are now in the pages of history.

Warm regards to you all.