WIRED September 2022 by fencingcontractorsnz

ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 WIRED Publication of the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand | fcanz.org.nz

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3WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 In this issue ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 Disclaimer WIRED takes all due care in the preparation of this magazine but is not responsible or liable for any mistakes or omissions. Articles that appear in WIRED do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FCANZ. WIRED welcomes contributions but reserves the right to edit. Editor & Advertising Heather 0226wired@fcanz.org.nzKawan308533 Subscriptions Jeanette 027admin@fcanz.org.nzMiller4322033 Graphic Design 027dkdesignstudio.nz4057646 FCANZ News 5 The President’s Report 6 The Board Blog 7 Marketing and Events update Industry & Innovation 10 Steel & Tube’s Hurricane rural products brand turns 90 13 Gallagher harnesses data to navigate global challenges and deliver for customers 14 Product launches and 50th anniversary – it’s all go at Bayonet 16 Jenny’s engineered to boost efficiency on the fenceline FEATURE: Gates 17 The challenges of architecturally specified gates 19 Fencing and gate automation – working together 20 Wayne’s Way: Hanging a gate 23 The process of designing, sizing and installing stockyards and gates 26 Delivering automation to entranceways Training & Events 29 Conference 2022 Report 35 Conference 2022: Keys to a healthy mindset 37 Conference 2022: How can I work smarter not harder in my business?! 40 Conference 2022: Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin 42 Conference 2022: How to lose 15 students in a single day… 44 NZ Fencing Competitions Update 46 How to: Retaining walls Business, Health & Safety, Environment 49 Safety and PPE 50 5 tips for smooth sailing through client communication Our People 52 A fenceline with a view 54 Variety is the spice of life 56 A Wife’s Tale 58 Shane on the Wire 232914 5246

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Looking ahead, the Executive Committee will be finalising the Strategic Plan and looking to employ a CEO for the Association. The Managed Apprenticeship application will be submitted before beginning of October and more Level 3 Fencing courses will be taking place with one beginning this month in Cambridge. Level 4 will have a date set for final quarter of FCANZ2022.has trade days booked in for end of this month in Tauranga on the 27th and Gisborne on the 29th, these are another great chance to catch up with industry partners and likeminded contractors. It would be good to see more member support at these days. That’s all from me for now, looking forward to seeing you at the upcoming trade days, and as always, if you want to have a yarn, don’t hesitate to give me or any of the board a call.

Phil Cornelius President Our Mission To increase the profile of fencing as a recognised profession and encourage a high level of workmanship through knowledge and standards.

Phil Welcome to the latest edition of WIRED magazine.

NewsFCANZ

However, Dunedin managed to turn on great weather for the 2022 Conference and AGM. What an exceptional week. The National Fencing Field Day was great and well attended. Thanks to the team behind the scenes for organising everything, you will see some highlights throughout this WIRED issue. Conference and AGM on the Thursday and Friday was well received. We saw Mike Renner step down from the Executive Committee, he will be missed but behind the scenes keeping us all up to date with what’s happening in the top part of the South Island. We welcomed Janine Swansson from Pahiatua, Janine brings a vast knowledge of the dairy industry, having been farming for many years and working for Dairy NZ. The board looks forward to working with Janine. Thanks to everyone that attended Conference and the Partners and Sponsors of the week’s events, this makes for excellent networking and the feedback from first time Conference attendees and regulars I spoke to has been great, connecting with the companies that make our industry tick is a key highlight for many during the week.

How has this weather been around New Zealand? Soggy to say the least. It certainly makes organising jobs character building.

President's Report

Conference discussions

It’s good to have the 2022 Conference under our belt. Words alone cannot explain what a difficult conference it was to organise with a lack of communication from many of the venues and activities we undertook, price increases and about five changes to our Friday activities, which got changed again due to one of the buses going into limp mode on the way to Kim Rapley’s workshop. But what a grand time was had a Larnach Castle. Again it was the people who attended and also the level of sponsorship support that made this Conference. It was our Communication Manager Jaime Bigwood’s first Conference and Jaime delivered a very professionally run affair. Our thanks also to Jeanette, Debbie and Donna for their input into the Conference and the National Fencing Field Day. The weather certainly played a helpful part. Now planning is starting for the next Conference in New Plymouth and we welcome local members to help guide us as towards activities and local jobs of interest. Board changes While we regrettably had valued Board member Mike Renner step down, Janine Swansson from Pahiatua has stepped up onto the Board. We welcome Janine and look forward to her input as we move to the next period of governance organisational structure for the Association. Since the Conference Prue Younger has stepped down from the Board due to increasing work commitments. The Board welcomes expressions of interest from Members who are passionate about raising the profile of the fencing industry.

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During the forum time at Conference we brought up some important matters for general discussion, including a review of membership fees about to be undertaken and a membership fee increase in April next year. We also discussed the Association operating with a CEO role at its helm to implement the Board’s strategic planning. We are also introducing Sector/Regional subcommittees to feed back to the Board and CEO. One of our goals is to grow support and resources for the many sectors that our members are involved with – rural, residential, security, horticulture, viticulture etc.

We have started an external Strategic review of the Association which will help guide us and provide direction over the next five years. As a Board we have set up a number of budgets for activities as we strive for fiscal responsibility. The use of such budgets will play an important role going forward in our planning.

Webinar Series

Our webinar series continues to provide good value and reassurance to your business acumen. These webinars have been recorded and are available in the members only area on our website. We encourage you to log in and watch them, no matter how experienced you are.

Strategic review

Having updated employment contracts in the members only area is of huge help and we encourage you to check back to the website each time you hire a new worker so you can ensure any legislative changes are up to date.

The Board blog

Have your say As a Board we have worked hard at encouraging member engagement and feedback, by consulting regarding proposed changes and also conducting surveys. We encourage you to have your say and get engaged in a collective process.

NewsFCANZ 7WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

Raising the profile of FCANZ With Conference 22 behind us, the focus very squarely now sits on raising the profile of the Association – and by default raising the profile of its members and partners. As well as our online activities, we are working on a marketing calendar for print coverage which will include both adverts and articles. We are always keen to talk about the real people of the industry. If you are working on an interesting project, have solved a problem with a fencing solution or are facing an issue that may be industry-wide let us know as it may form the basis of an article.

We’ll be updating this part of the website regularly with new information and updated offers from our Partners so make sure you check back often at www.fcanz.org.nz

See page 29 for a full conference report.

At Conference this year, the members in attendance agreed to a small change to the Fencing Contractors NZ branding to reincorporate the word Association. This change allows the organisation to better position itself as an industry body and will simplify advocacy activities as the Association moves forward. The Board sees the tweak to the brand identity and terminology as an evolution of the existing brand and a natural step forward for the UpdatesAssociation.willgradually roll out across all channels and will see: • the acronym will change from FCNZ back to FCANZ • the website URL will change to www.fcanz.org.nz • email addresses will become @fcanz.org.nz These changes are relatively minor compared to a complete rebrand, and mean that anything branded with the current logo is not wrong per se, but rather not completely up to date. An updated logo will be circulated in due course.

Website Members Area Have you logged in to the members-only area on the FCANZ website yet? Since the launch, we have added a second employment contract template and all webinar recordings are now available. If you’ve been unable to get in, didn’t get your password OR have a great idea for something else that you’d like to see in this section, please don’t hesitate to reach out to either myself (Jaime) communications@fcanz.org.nz or Jeanette admin@fcanz.org.nz

Congratulations to our winners: • Wednesday (National Fencing Field Day): Nic Jayne • Thursday (Conference): Tracy Graham • Friday (Activity Day): Anna Heasley

Minor Brand Change

Marketing and Events update

Congratulations to our winners!

We had some really great photos submitted for our daily Facebook Photo competition over the three days of Conference 2022.

Photo Nic Jayne: Noah from Cromwell, guessing how heavy the post is Photo Anna Heasley: Activity Day Photo Tracy Graham: Baldwin Street Relay

When asked how many people still refer to the Association as FCANZ (rather than FCNZ) the answer was almost everyone in the room – Partners, and Members alike.

New Partners

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Bronze Partner

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Got a great idea for a webinar? Send it through to communications@fcanz.org.nz and we will see what we can do. *Dates are subject to change, please refer to the FCANZ website www.fcanz.org.nz/events for details. are the confirmed dates:*

FCANZ has welcomed one new and one returning Partner to the FCANZ family. We look forward to work with them to grow the profile of the fencing industry and having their representatives at our various events across the country, giving our members a chance to see, feel and test their products in person.

FCANZ welcomes back Rural Safe as a Bronze Partner. A longtime supporter of FCANZ, Rural Safe provides a comprehensive quality health and safety service to enable the community to enjoy a safe lifestyle choice. Rural Safe is led by Debbie Robertson, who has experience and knowledge in the rural industry. The team likewise, come from strong and diverse rural and management backgrounds. They’re not just rural though, Rural Safe also cover retail, tradies, contractors and more. Based in Taupō, Rural Safe covers both North and South Islands and can visit your workplace nationwide to offer an indepth analysis of your operation. Rural Safe offers comprehensive Safety Management Systems which can be specific to the unique operations and practices used in your workplace.

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Webinar Series BUSINESS STAPLES

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In this quarter

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Missed a webinar? You’ll find it in the Members Area of the FCANZ website.

Silver Partner

Unfortunately, we’ve had to reschedule a couple of webinars – and there are still some new dates to be confirmed. Register at: www.fcanz.org.nz/events The webinars have proven popular so we are looking at the 2023 calendar with a view to delivering more business best-practice topics. Special thanks to Bayonet® and WIREMARK® in assisting FCANZ to deliver these webinars. 13 Sep Understanding ACC Presented by Sue ACCMcMaster The claims journey (for the employer and employee) Recovery at work (getting back on the tools) How to use My ACC For Business Understanding your invoice 11 Oct Health & Safety Basics Presented by Debbie RuralSafeRobertson, Health & Safety at Work Act 2015 Health & Safety Policy – the value of industry-specific Worker involvement Identifying hazards Incident / accident reporting Importance of investigation Serious Injury / WorkSafe • Steps to take • Working with a H&S company 22 Nov Workplace Wellbeing Presented by Shane Bird The Farmers Minsdet Coach How to handle the stresses that come with the uncertainties of owning a business How to help your employees look after their own wellbeing Where to go to find resources to help with this (links to online resources)

NorthTec and FCANZ have collaborated for the last 18 months on the delivery of a New Zealand Certificate in Fencing (Level 4) course, the first of which will run in Q4 2022. NorthTec is committed to ensuring students gain the knowledge and practical skill base needed in the “real world” of business and enterprise.

NorthTec is the only Tertiary Education Institute (TEI) in New Zealand that provides the New Zealand Certificate in Fencing (Level 3) (Rural) qualification. NorthTec works in association with FCANZ to provide a combination of in-work, site visits, online and block course learning specifically designed with the hands-on workers of the industry in mind.

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Register by Tuesday 20 September: www.fcanz.org.nz/events Text: 027 432 2033 Call: 0508 432 269 Email: admin@fcanz.org.nz WHEN & WHERE Tauranga | Tuesday 27 September | 9.30am-3:00pm 60 Tim Road, Whakamarama Gisborne | Thursday 29 September | 9:30am-3:00pm 63 Kirkpatrick Road, Patutahi, Gisborne Enjoy a day out with Fencing Contractors Association NZ and see best practice fencing techniques showcased in practical demonstrations throughout the day. Fencing Best Practice Trade Days are a great opportunity to learn new skills, see the latest fencing gear and meet like-minded fencing contractors in your region. WHO YOU WILL MEET Industry Partners, Fencing Contractors Association NZ Board members, Health & Safety advisors; Tertiary Education providers and Fencing Contractors from across the region. *Subject to availability WHO SHOULD ATTEND Fencing Contractors, Fencer Generals, Horticulture workers, Farmers and those starting or interested in a career in a fast-growing industry. COST (includes catered lunch) Non-Members: $40 FCANZ Members: $20 FCANZ Employee Members: $10 NORTH ISLAND Fencing Best Practice Days Increasing the profile of fencing as a recognised profession and encouraging high levels of workmanship through knowledge and standards. Gisborne Tauranga Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Timber & Har Canterb Cr T H Ti CC T TH imber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Timber & Hardwa Canterbur Cy T H Timber & HardwareCCante T H Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H H C te Cb T H Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H

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Steel & Tube’s Hurricane rural products brand turns 90

This year, Hurricane celebrates 90 years. To mark the occasion, we reflect on the brand and its place in the Steel & Tube family. Since its establishment in 1932, Hurricane products have been built to withstand New Zealand’s harsh and unique weather conditions. The first field trial of Hurricane’s high tensile boundary fence was conducted in secret near Wanganui in February 1963. The resilience of this fencing and the way it could be erected on undulating ground proved to be outstanding and led to the biggestever success in fabricated farm-fence development in New Zealand. The later introduction of Hurricane deer fence established New Zealand as an exporter of market leading innovative fencing systems.

Steel & Tube’s iconic brand, Hurricane, is one of New Zealand’s largest manufacturers and distributors of reinforcing, fencing, fence panels, wire, gates and nail products for use across primary industries and the rural construction sector.

Hurricane continues to innovate, with the introduction of the Rapid Post and Boundary Fence. The Rapid Post is designed to speed up fencing and make installation easier. The revolutionary self-sprung stainless steel clip firmly holds the fencing wire in the slot, doing away with the need of tie wire. The square knot Boundary Fence brings a new dimension to our range. Designed to handle pressure from stock with performance and exceptional value in mind, it’s made for NZ conditions with longevity and durability. “The Hurricane brand embodies the Kiwi attitude of innovation and ingenuity. While Steel & Tube manufacturers and distributes a range of products which are used in construction projects across New Zealand, a strong

Innovation&Industry 11WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 sense of pride comes from playing a role in supporting our primary industries which are so important to New Zealand’s economy while also representing a way of life for many New Zealanders”, says Barney Te Tai, Sales Manager, National AsMerchants.apartof the Steel & Tube family, Hurricane is part of a business which has evolved to play its part in serving our environments and communities. We are pleased to provide ongoing sales support and sponsorship to serve our communities, including MATES in Construction and Pink Shirt Day. In a broader sense, the Hurricane brand benefits from Steel & Tube’s overall commitment to quality and sustainability. Steel & Tube has focussed on initiatives to lower our carbon footprint, these have included a focus on energy use including vehicle telematics to improve safety and driving efficiency, LED lighting, and we have also reduced waste and introduced recycling initiatives. We have also been awarded the Sustainable Steel Council’s Gold Certification. Another key facet of the Hurricane brand has been Steel & Tube’s introduction of supporting products which are well-suited to the needs of our rural communities. Most recently, Steel & Tube was pleased to bring Rooffast screws to our customers. Earlier this year, we introduced the TJEP range of nailers which are commonplace across Europe. The cordless tools offer great convenience for both rural fencing contractors and DIY-ers completing jobs around the farm. Barney concludes: “We’d like to thank you for your support of the Hurricane brand over the past 90 years. Here’s to many more!” Article supplied by: SEE THE NEW RAPID POST AT NATIONAL FIELDAYS 2022 Speeds up fencing and makes installation easier. The revolutionary self-sprung stainless steel clip firmly holds the fencing wire in the slot, doing away with the need of tie wire! 0800 800 947 steelandtube.co.nz STILL INAFTERINNOVATING90YEARSNEWZEALAND

Longer Rolls, Less Joins LEAVEXTMFENCE®NOTHINGTOCHANCEAlsoavailablein50m,100mand200mrolls RECEIVEPLUSAFREESTAPLEGUNATTACHMENTVALUEDAT$138 WoodG67309Post Claw Insulator 1000pk $436.00 SAVE $61 RECEIVEPLUSAFREESTAPLEGUNATTACHMENTVALUEDAT$138 WoodG68709Post Pinlock Insulator 650pk $319.00 SAVE $45 Term and Conditions: Prices are inclusive of GST and valid 01 Sep – 30 Sep 2022 only. To redeem please call 0800 731 500 and quote “FCANZ FIELD DAY EXTENSION”. 0800 731 Didam.gallagher.com500you miss out at FCANZ Field Day? SteelG68609Post Pinlock Insulator 750pk $564.00 SAVE $80 Here is your second chance at some great offers!

Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H

“Right from the start of the pandemic we have had a mitigation plan in place to safeguard the supply of materials we use to make our products. Our priority has always been to make sure fencing contractors and all our customers across New Zealand don’t experience disruption to product supply,” he says. “By protecting our business, we are also protecting theirs.”

Using a data-driven approach has helped Gallagher understand which products its customers need and when they need them. This means the company can make sure it has the materials available to manufacture and supply those products on time every time.

Gallagher harnesses data to navigate global challenges and deliver for customers

“Using our data, we can see where the seasonal demands are from customers for specific products. By analysing this activity, along with looking at demand from our key accounts, we have clarity to better forecast our customers’ needs,” says Darrell.

“ Our procurement team is working hard to secure a continuous supply to raw materials, and we are carrying higher stock levels than we have in the past season. When we analysed it, we discovered the increased demand was during Covid lock downs. We expect farmers had family at home who could help with farm fencing maintenance,” says Darrell Demand has also been high for steel gates. In response, Gallagher locked in a year’s supply of the zinc used to galvanize them at a set price. “We put plans in place to minimise the impact on retail pricing as much as we could,” says Darrell. “We have also increased our inventory buffers to improve surety of supply to our customers.”

Gallagher has also set anticipated freight times to ‘worst case’ by market to avoid any gaps in availability.

Article supplied by: Darrell Jones, National Fieldays 2021

Redirecting components from products for which there isn’t as strong a demand, into its high-demand product lines has also been an effective strategy.

“Our procurement team is working hard to secure a continuous supply to raw materials, and we are carrying higher stock levels than we have in the past.”

“It’s an ever-changing landscape, but we’re monitoring the data we generate almost daily and are keeping in close contact with rural resellers to ensure Gallagher remains the brand of choice for our customers. We want to deliver not only for them, but for all our end users.”

The data has also thrown up some interesting trends. “We found increased demand for fencing products happening out of the traditional

Gallagher’s mitigation plan means it is constantly analysing every step of the business process.

Gallagher Group Ltd Headquarters, Hamilton Gallagher Animal Management GM (Chile and NZ) Darrell Jones says despite the challenges of the last two years, the company has never taken its eye off the ball when it comes to maintaining continuity of supply for its customers.

Darrell says Gallagher’s global sales teams have been reforecasting almost weekly to ensure products with long lead-times are ordered early enough so they are in stock when customers need them.

As international supply chains are squeezed and costs continue to rise, Gallagher has navigated the challenges using the same data-driven decision making it recommends to its farmer customers.

“Close monitoring of the entire process allows us to make decisions like that from a position of knowledge, rather than using Gallagher’sguesswork.”procurement team has also worked to source products in advance, including semi-conductors, which are used in almost every electrical product the company manufactures.

Innovation&Industry 13WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

This past June, we introduced our patented, 38mm Hex Netting Multi Strand Maxline. It’s designed to give an unparalleled level of assistance to obstruct feral animal movement with a hex netting product. Burrowing animals such as rabbits and wallabies can be difficult to keep on wires for greater strength. This product is an animal-friendly solution to temporary docking yards, and can be re-rolled and re-used year after year.

The Bayonet display trailer ready to hit the road and travel the country500m rolls on our Fixed Lokk machine

Bayonet.co.nz | 0800 330 320

14 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

To find out more on Bayonet’s products, or 500m rolls of Fixed Knot or Kiwi Knot for your property, visit your local rural retailer or fencing products specialist today, or we can have one of our sales reps visit you on site to assist you. To check out the recently introduced products, visit the Farm Fencing category on our website.

Since 1972, we’ve been a trusted trading partner to New Zealand’s rural and construction sectors, producing wire products such as Fixed Knot and Kiwi Knot Prefabricated Farm Fence, Coiled Wire, Barb Wire, Hex Nettings, Fencing Accessories, Wire Construction products and more. In March 2020, after nearly five decades in the business, Paul Bishop officially passed ownership to sons Joel and Frank.

Celebrating 50 years in business this year, Bayonet is NZ family-owned and operated, based in Tauranga. the other side of the fence, 38mm Multi Strand Maxline Hex Netting includes 20 extra horizontal line wires through the bottom section of the netting, reducing the hex aperture down to just 19mm and providing a formidable obstacle with 300mm of fence apron on the ground. We also re-introduced our iconic Centre Strand Docking Netting in the same month – now redesigned with 38mm hex apertures and 4 x horizontal Centre Strand Article supplied by: “We’re proud to be further developing the business Dad and my grandfather started in ‘72. Employing Kiwi’s, manufacturing Kiwi Made product right here in the Bay of Plenty and using New Zealand Kiwi made wire with a solutions focused approach are at the core of the values we continue to hold tightly to. A lot has changed over the 50 years, however we remain passionately committed to supplying high quality products to Farmers, Fencing Contractors and Roofers New Zealand wide” – Joel Bishop, Bayonet Owner and Director. In October 2020, Bayonet invested in a state of the art Fixed Lokk fence fabricator which is the only machine of its kind in New Zealand (pictured). Fully automated from start-up to label insertion, this fabricator can produce high quality Fixed Knot and Kiwi Knot rolls of 1000+ metres in length with ease. Having the ability to produce both Fixed Knot and Kiwi Knot prefabricated fence from the same machine gives our customers greater fence configuration flexibility, ensuring the right fencing solution for their situation. We can produce 50m rolls for hobby and lifestyle blocks, 100m or 200m rolls for farmers and 500m rolls for large farmers and fencing contractors with material handling equipment. We also manufacture 750m and 1000m rolls for export markets. Horse fence or Security fencing line wire specifications in Kiwi Knot are another example of our fabricators wide range of manufacturing capability, allowing us to provide many solutions to our customers’ requirements.

It’s been a busy few months at Bayonet.

Product launches and 50th anniversary – it’s all go at Bayonet

Talk to Bayonet – we have the solution.

15WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 GOT RABBITS? GET MULTI STRAND Bayonet’s patented, Maxline 38mm Hex Netting Multi Strand is the ultimate level of assistance to obstruct feral animal movement with a Hex Netting fence. With an additional 20 x horizontal line wires through the bottom section of the netting, the Hex aperture closes down to just 19mm. 0800 330 bayonet.co.nz320 ®

16 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE happens in Pahiatua, NZ. This also means we’re able to custom design and build Spinning Jenny’s to suit you. Just give us a call and discuss your needs or ideas today. We recently designed and manufactured a 10 Wire Jenny to be mounted on a tractor. This contactor was setting up a new kiwifruit orchard and needed an easy efficient way of getting all the wires out in one pass. We worked with him to come up with a unique design, his team are now the fastest in the orchard! Our standard range includes: 4, 5 and 6 wire spinning jenny trailer, Freestanding Jenny’s for 1, 2 or 4 wire coils. We can make anything in between with a quick turnaround, just simply get in touch. Excellent quality, value and innovation that you can’t miss.

Call today for your new Spinning Wire Jenny 0800 465 963 0800 465 963 | kyneequipment.co.nz

Article supplied by: Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H Fletcher Wire Products™ | Gallagher™ | Steel & Tube The Bayonet display trailer ready to hit the road and travel the country WIRETOWBALLREARMUDGRIPTYRESANTITANGLEGUARDS KYNE QUICKSTOP FRICTION SYSTEM TAPER ROLLER WHEEL BEARINGSLOW CENTRE OFSPAREGRAVITYWIRECOILRACK CASTCLEANERTYRECOUPLINGSWINGOUTARMS SPINNING WIRE JENNYSSPINNING WIRE JENNYS superior quality, value & efficiency hop on our website to find prices & more info! WWWW.KYNEEQUIPMENT.CO.NZWW.KYNEEQUIPMENT.CO.NZ08004659630800465963@KyneEquipment@KyneEquipment

A good quality and proven spinning wire jenny is vital for you to be as efficient as possible when running out wire on the fence-line. They save heaps of time, fuel and make you more efficient. We understand that a good spinning wire jenny is a key piece of equipment for any fencing team out there. That’s why Kyne has designed a superior spinning wire jenny with a proven QuickStop Friction system to prevent jenny overrun, plus many other key features. We started design work by building a prototype, with which we did lots of testing out in the field with local contractors, tweaking the design and features until we got it just right. Jenny overrun can be a big problem, a massive time waster and very frustrating. With this in mind it was a big focus when designing our jenny. The team at Kyne Equipment has designed a state of the art QuickStop Friction system so we can offer ZERO Anotheroverrun.keyfeature was to get a very low centre of gravity, this keeps it close to the ground for easy reloading coils of wire (save your back) and making it very stable on the hills. The wire rotors that hold the wire are mounted on easy swing out arms so reloading wire coils can easily be done. They are zinc coated for increased durability, keeping them rust free and long lasting. We’ve also used super strong double taper wheel bearings for extra durability so it lasts for longer. Running a mud grip tire also helps to stop the jenny trailer from sliding around and getting out of line on uneven fence lines. The trailers come with a super handy rear tow-ball, so you can tow 2 jenny trailers to run 8 wires, or tow another piece of machinery. All of the range of spinning wire jenny’s are a fully welded construction, this means they’re the strongest spinning wire jenny on the NZ market. We support local industry 100%, all parts come from within NZ and all manufacturing

Jenny’s engineered to boost efficiency on the fenceline

“We have to coordinate with the concrete placers so that we can make sure that our posts are in the ground before they box up and pour. There’s no room for error – the consequences of the posts not being 100% right are significant.”

“There’s no way we could put posts in the ground once that concrete has been poured. We usually have posts in the ground before the landscapers have even prepped final ground leveIs” says Bigwood.

With houses that are only 2.4m apart being even 10mm out means someone loses an unacceptable amount of their land. Meanwhile digging up a post would require relaying large areas of concrete paths and patios - at a significant cost.

When it comes to selling off-plan houses in a brand new subdivision, there are high expectations about timing and finish quality. Not only must the inside of the house meet all expectations, but the landscaping and final touches must be impeccable before keys are handed over. still underway. On a build of this size, there are multiple different trades onsite at any one time, including plumbers, builders, electricians, roofers, and painters not to mention earthworks that are still underway elsewhere on the site.

Article written by Jaime Bigwood

GATES FEATURE FEATURE 17WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

As an integral part of the design aesthetic, each property has two road-frontage gates, making them something that must be “just right”. While the designs are very specific about where the gates should be, they don’t account for where services have been placed. “It can be a really delicate process digging the holes for the posts closest to the houses. I even sometimes scoop the dirt out one handful at a time” says “ConstructingBigwood.

Rob may have been ribbed at Conference about his small 0.8T digger, but it is the perfect tool for digging holes under the eaves of brand-new houses that are only 2.4m apart Gate posts must be installed before ground levels have been finalised so that concrete can be poured

The finished gates make for striking road frontages on these houses being built for Lupin Developments

Lower North Island fencing contractor Rob Bigwood of Bigwood Fencing is in the process of constructing the gates and fences for a 42-house subdivision where house and land packages are being sold off-plan. The houses have been architecturally designed to ensure each house has its own character and avoids the “cookie-cutter” look so common in 90’s subdivisions.

fences in the virgin ground of a subdivision may sound like a dream but it has its challenges,” says Bigwood. The fences and gates are installed while work is Adding to the challenge, the approved landscape designs have specified the use of two different systems – Boundaryline panel fences around each plot and gates from Fence Direct. Each fence can only be installed once the house build reaches a certain stage meaning the work is very piecemeal. It is not uncommon for fence and gate posts to be in the ground for a few weeks before landscaping work has progressed enough to be ready for fencing to be finished - and the fence is often finished before the inside of the house is complete. While it is technically challenging work, the results are certainly striking to look at. “We effectively have three clients that we are accountable to on this project –the developer, the house builders who have their brand on the project, and the homeowner. It’s great to be able to move on to the next house knowing they are all happy.”

The challenges of architecturally specified gates

FENCING INDUSTRY Supplying the Across New Zealand

GATES FEATURE FEATURE 19WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 We all work outside in all weather conditions and must deal with mud, water, wind, and all while making sure we meet our customers’ expectations. At the end of the day we continue doing what we do best because we enjoy the work and the lifestyle it creates. Standing back and looking at a job well done makes us all proud of the work we have completed. Gate automation is a small but vital part of our industry and all the work carried out by the fencing contractor can either complement an automation install or bring out the shortcomings.

Fencing and gate automation –working together

Fencing and gate automation have more in common than is apparent on the surface. numerous installations in Christchurch, Wanaka, Queenstown, Dunedin, Nelson. Over the last 20 years they have concentrated more on the Canterbury region. “We prefer to focus our talents and expertise on the local market. We have also learned a lot about the local requirements regarding access control solutions for domestic, commercial and rural installations” says Tony. “We are now seeing more automation companies focusing on rural and lifestyle blocks, where the security benefits are becoming more and more necessary as well as the ease of use. The use of solar panels within a rural or lifestyle property is very attractive where there is no access to power”. Openz operates the Roger brushless motors from Edgesmith which run effortlessly when powered by their solar kit. customers, to ascertain exactly how they would like the system to perform for their specific needs. There is nothing worse than investing in a new entranceway for the enhancement and security of your property and ending up with a system that does not perform. The system needs to be designed correctly from the start.” Roger Automation is a great product due to it being a BRUSHLESS system and this enables the motor to slowdown and speed up during its run cycle without compromising the power of the motor, resulting in a super smooth operation. It’s also super quiet.

The aesthetics of the entrance way are also becoming increasingly important and automatic gate technology has come a long way from the farm gate mounted on wooden posts, which was more often than

Customers now have access to bespoke designed and engineered gates which operate seamlessly such as swing gates, sliding gates, cantilever gates, telescopic sliding gates, bi-folding swing gates, and sectional sliding gates. Pretty much a “The selection of the type of automation system is critical for a successful installation and functionality of the installation” says Tony. “This is where we spend a huge amount of time with our Article written by Openz Limited Timber & Hardware Canterbur

“ The use of solar panels within a rural or lifestyle property is very attractive where there is no access to power

• because the gate sits directly on the motor there is no chance of the hinges letting it down and very large gates can be automated this way • the geometry is very flexible – gates can be made to open up to 180 degrees and there are no limitations with the posts

The gate shown in the photo uses an underground gate motor. A foundation hole is dug with drainage and a special tub is concreted into the hole. The motor fits into the tub and the gate sits directly on top of it, effectively acting as the bottom hinge for the gate. This has three benefits: • it is a clean and elegant look, with no external motor detracting from the aesthetic of the gate

For a fencing company, forming a relationship and working with a professional gate installer can open up a far greater range of solutions than just a standard sliding or swing gate and will give you confidence that the automation is the right choice for the job.

Cy T H Fletcher Wire Products™ Gallagher™ | Steel & Tube WIREMARK®

“ The selection of the type of automation system is critical for a successful installation and functionality of the

Most of the time it’s just practise mixed with a good guess. I only use blocks of wood or wedges to lift a gate if I’m on concrete or hard metal. This same system is how I swing gates to ground as well.

•

Be careful to position gate so gudgeon is in a position to clear gate on opening and will not become hinge bound.

On wooden gates top strap down on top bar. Bottom strap up on bottom bar. Straps MUST be equal distance from upright to hinge eye. CORRECT INCORRECT Hanging contourstand–Strainergatesmust90ºtoofgateway.

GATES

WIREMARK® Golden Pliers winner, 10 x Fieldays Silver Spades winner and former FCANZ Chairman Wayne Newdick, provides a quick summary of how to swing a gate using best practice techniques.

FEATURE GATES FEATURE 20 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE Wayne’s HangingWay:a gate

Be careful to position gate so gudgeon is in a to clear gate on opening and will not become hinge bound.

26 Article

•

Every effort should be made to have gate tops and strainers level at all times. Correct positioning of strainers in relation to contour is important for successful gate hanging. The strainer on which the gate is hung must be at right angles to the ground in the gateway. It is possible to hang a gate on sloping ground by observing this rule. Clamps on steel gates must be as far apart as possible, that is, just below the bend at the top and between the secondto-bottom and the bottom bars. After these adjustments have been made, stand the gate in the gateway level with the top of the strainer. Check to see the gate is plumb, and then mark just under the eyes of the hinges. If the gate is not plumb, it will either rise or fall as it opens. Where possible, gates should be able to open back against the fence.

•

• Fit the gudgeon and lift the gate on, then put a spade under the latch end of the gate, sometimes on the top of blade, if it’s too far off the ground put the handle of the spade under pipe on the top of the gate, or you can use a straight handled spade with a holder (as per photo below).

Image reproduced with permission from WIREMARK®

Make an effort to level the top of the strainer distance 3660mm gate inside measurement usually minus 40mm assuming the gate opens 180 degrees. 2 short levels 250mm one of which is magnetic 30mm ring spanner sledge and bit 19-20 mm Tape Spade Method Stand the gate in position on the ground, check for slam ie: 30mm and make sure the gudgeon position will not cause binding.

GATES

• All gates are different with drop. Standard gates with a brace don’t drop much, 20-30mm.

Every effort should be made to have able to open back against the fence.

• If using a lock thru, hold this across the face below the mark you have just put on strainer.

• At this stage I simply put a vertical pencil mark above the top hinge to determine entry point to drill through the centre of the strainer in line with hinge.

• Generally long pin is used on the bottom, makes it easier to fit the gate.

• Transfer that mark to the strainer and with a short level transfer the mark that you put above the hinge to the horizontal mark indicating the centre of your gudgeon.

• Drill

•

• Plastic inserted hinges drop less.

• Then mark the top of the lock and this will give you the centres. Now drill both at the same time using a short level to ensure the drill bit is level.

Be careful to position gate so gudgeon is in a position to clear gate on opening and will not become hinge bound.

Tools •

• Small

• Sit the top of the gate above the slam. The amount depends on the gate, a Standard gate is 20-30mm.

• Lie the gate on the ground.

GATES

• Then put the magnetic level just above the bottom hinge to get plumb. Try to keep both gudgeons in line.

• Once the gate is plumb drill the bottom gudgeon hole using the second same as the top.

• Some heavier gates and those without a brace can drop anything from 30-50mm or more

• Most top hinges line up with bottom of the top bar of the gate. Simply measure from the top of the gate to the bottom of the top bar and add 15mm for the centre of your top gudgeon.

NEW & FENCINGPROVENPRODUCTS. TALK TO WARATAH FOR YOUR COMPLETE FENCING SOLUTION TODAY. Contact Brendon Crequer Phone: 021 393 010 Email: brendon.crequer@waratahfencing.co.nz For over 135 years Waratah have been creating innovative solutions across all stages of its’ vertically integrated processes. From patented products like JiO® hot dipped galvanised steel posts to developing new solutions like JiO® Pinlock & Porcelain insulators. All designed to make fencing faster, easier and more cost effective over the life of your fence.

deutz nz With the Agrofarm’s core features including true 4 wheel braking, 100% locking front and rear differential, low centre of gravity and wide footprint, the Agrofarm 100 is the ultimate Rammer Ready tractor Proud to support The Rammer Ready package includes: RAMMERREADY READY CHAINSAW MULTI-FASTENERCHAINSAWPACKAGEMOUNTSELFLEVELLINGLOADERTRACTORREARGUARDUPGRADEDTRIMAQ4PROREARWHEELBALLASTWITHTHIRDSERVICE,EUROHITCH,&BOOMSUSPENSION$1000GUARDCHAINSAWMOUNT EASY ACCESS FLAT PLATFORM HEAVY DUTY BRAKED FRONT AXLE PERFECT FOR HILLAGROFARMCOUNTRY100GROPSLOADERCOMBO Power Farming NZ WHANGAREI 09 438 9163 PUKEKOHE 0800 570 571 TAURANGA 07 543 0021 TE AWAMUTU 07 870 2411 MORRINSVILLE 07 889 5059 ROTORUA 07 349 6528 GISBORNE 06 868 8908 HAWERA 0800 480 309 HASTINGS 06 879 9998 FEILDING 06 323 8182 MASTERTON 06 370 8240 NELSON 03 544 5723 BLENHEIM 03 573 7089 GREYMOUTH 03 768 4370 CHRISTCHURCH 03 349 5975 ASHBURTON 03 307 7153 TIMARU 03 687 4127 DUNEDIN 03 489 3489 GORE 03 208 9395 INVERCARGILL 03 215 9039 Terms and conditions apply. Images may differ from products advertised. For a limited time and while stocks last. Chainsaw package includes an MS180 Chainsaw, ear and eye protection, chaps, service kit and spare chain. proudly locally o wnedand operated100%kiwi owneD

Building a new set of stockyards is a huge expense for farmers in this day and age, with prices of both timber and steel increasing more rapidly than ever. It shows the lengths farmers will go to ensure quality of animal health by maintaining farm infrastructure. or just a normal forcing pen; how many sliding gates they want in the race and if they want a single or double load out ramp. Generally, clients are very receptive to advice on how to go about things and they welcome suggestions. Stockyards require a lot of accuracy when driving posts and care needs to be taken with measuring and marking out so that spacings are the correct size. However, the yards are mostly built prior to going through and measuring all of the gateways to ensure perfect accuracy for slam catches. It also makes it a lot easier having the gates fabricated after the posts are driven and yards are built so you’re not trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. This does mean there can be a bit of wait time where the yards aren’t able to be used until the gates show up and are installed but in the long run it is more efficient. If we are using pre-fabricated gates, we always make sure the gates are on site prior to post driving to ensure the measurements are dead right. In South Canterbury we have some good local engineers building our gates and ramps; Gibson Bros Limited in Fairlie and Agriboss Engineering in Timaru. We use a

Well built yards make it a lot easier, safer and more efficient for everyone involved in working with the stock including farm workers, vets, technicians and truck drivers. In the last few years we have built several sets of yards, both sheep and cattle in the South Canterbury region. Timber yards with steel gates and concrete floors still seem to be the most popular choice. When designing a set of yards, concept designs are usually drafted while sitting at the kitchen table. It’s a rough plan, sometimes a coffee cup or even a beer bottle might be used to draw a circle race.

The process of designing, sizing and stockyardsinstallingandgates

I like to take two or three different ideas to a client and then discuss with them what will work for their farm and things usually develop from there. It all depends on how many stock units they are wanting to run, what the purpose of the yards is and how big the pen sizes need to be. I ask if they want a round pen with a backing gate

FEATURE 23WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

Building yards is a rewarding aspect of fencing because the finished product is quite an art. It’s always great to get a few photos from above when you have finished a set so that you can appreciate the full capacity of the project. The process of building yards forces you to think and calculate a bit more than your standard fence so it can be a good challenge at times. Just like with fencing, it’s good to be able to drive past and see the yards working well when the job is finished.

Article written by Dan Douglass Dan Douglass Fencing South Canterbury

FEATURE GATES FEATURE 24 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

Recently we built a completely new set of sheep yards, again with custom steel gates from Gibson Bros Limited. For this project the gates were galvanized steel frames made from angle iron and box section.

“ For cattle yards, we tend to use a lot of 2.4m gates. It’s a good size that you can fit enough animals through, but if you want to stop one you still have a reasonably big presence in the gateway when standing in it

We then bolted in three 150mm x 25mm boards inside the angle iron frame so they were a combination of timber and steel.

The top board needs to be flush with the top of the steel so that there is no gap in which a sheep dog could get a paw stuck and get hurt.

lot of Te Pari slam catches and also some of their pre-fabricated gates. The Te Pari slam catches are good to use even on the custom-made gates as there is the benefit of being able to purchase both right-handed and left-handed catches and they have 25mm of adjustment if there is any movement with timber shrinkage. In sheep yards, standard gate chains are often used but it is down to the preference of the client. For cattle yards, we tend to use a lot of 2.4m gates. It’s a good size that you can fit enough animals through, but if you want to stop one you still have a reasonably big presence in the gateway when standing in it. It’s also a good size practically as the gates are normally light enough that you can slam them fast and they tend to stand the test of time without sagging too much. They are also easier to transport and hang at this size. We usually go for 1400mm high and have six rails spaced 150mm wide at the bottom, getting further apart at the top. 50mm x 50mm galvanised box section is used. When hanging yard gates, we like the gudgeons to come off the post at a 45° angle so that the gate will swing right back to the boards and you also get a bit of adjustment in the gudgeons to get it sitting right. If your gate isn’t hung right it won’t meet the slam catch and in some cases won’t swing right back (not to mention it looks awful). In the last year or two we have built three sets of yards for a large client in South Canterbury. We built some sale pens on a station for a calf sale venue, and a set of cattle yards on a dairy farm for young stock. The other set were large scale yards on their run-off block which were built to manage about one thousand cows. They have large holding pens, a large round forcing pen, a 20m long race split into three with sliding gates and a double load out ramp. When building the large set of yards we stripped an old set of cattle yards which was being pulled down and salvaged what was still in good condition in terms of steel gates. It was good to be able to re-use some of the materials without them going to waste and some of the original gates were also modified by the engineers to get them to suit the new yards. The double load out ramp and 32 new gates were made by Gibson Bros Limited. Sheep yards have more variation in gate size usually, ranging from 450mm x 900mm to 3000mm x 900mm. When building sheep yards, generally you are working around more of what is already there, including building a load in race into a woolshed.

CONSISTENT RESULTS stockade.com

Gary and Mel Pepperell purchased the Action Fencing business in 2016 and have been steadily adding to the products and services supplied to the market.

Over the past 6 years they have built a 3-way partnership with Carters Building Supplies as their main supplier and a special relationship with Topuni Timber Ltd who manufacture the posts, strainers, wooden gates and customised wooden gates, which have become an important part of the Action Fencing offering.

With his background in aircraft engineering, Gary looks at the fencing business in a slightly different way from others and is able to solve problems and offer unique solutions to meet customer needs.

FEATURE 26 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

Delivering automation to entranceways product offering and services. They now have such a good understanding, that a quick phone call gets a draft design and cost estimate in progress for presentation to the customer. The design is then adapted or approved, cost finalised, and put into production to meet the timeframe of the rest of the fencing work.

Topuni Timber and Action Fencing together have provided plenty of customer satisfaction, especially with ranch style gates for entrance ways, often chosen in the unique Topuni Timber gate timber, or also popular in a machine gauged 140x45mm timber for very solid and imposing gates.

With so many rural lifestyle properties in Northland with long driveways in remote places, Action Fencing gets a lot of calls for solar powered, automatic gates that complement a rural setting and existing post and rail fencing. With this often comes the need for the installation of solar powered solutions. Having installed such gates for over six years, Action Fencing has refined their installation process, which often involves a bit of problem solving specific to each site.

Action Fencing have been developing a market segment in the evolving lifestyle property real estate space, where people tend to be building their dream home. Mel Pepperell, Managing Director for Action Fencing says their clients recognise the importance of an entranceway in completing their vision. “These customers should have an entrance way which matches their new home. This gives the customer the satisfaction of coming home each day, going up the driveway to see a fantastic ranch style gate and entranceway, and opening the automatic gates from the comfort of the driver’s seat, before continuing onto their dream home.”

Action Fencing offer fencing solutions in Rural, Security, School/Civil, Residential, manual and automated steel and wooden gates. It is in this last area where the relationship with Topuni Timber has really grown, as Topuni Timber offer a custom gate making service, designing and producing gates to the style, size and purpose desired by the end users.

Custom gates are handy to fit odd sized gateways, stock yards, special uses and entrance ways.

Gary and David Chamberlin, General Manager of Topuni Timber, first met when David was working at Carters about 5 years ago, and since he moved to Topuni they have been able to expand the

Timber & Hardware Canterbur

“Something else we have developed over the years due to customer security needs, is the supply and installation of security cages that protect automation systems from theft... and yes, this does occur! We have worked with our main supplier to design these cages which are unique to our service” Mel says.

... to thisFrom this...

of the

adjustable

Article written by Mel Pepperell, Managing Director, Action Fencing, David Chamberlin, General Manager, Topuni Timber and the WIRED team. Cy

Gary and Mel are proud of the Action Fencing team and the great work they are doing in the solar power/automation area.

Action Fencing generally use 170 watt to 200 watt solar systems that produce 24 volts to 240 amp batteries which give more than adequate power supply for all eventualities and allows most accessories to run. To reduce the draw on the system, accessories have their own batteries and WIFI connections.

FEATURE 27WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

While timber posts are aesthetically inkeeping with ranch style gates, they don’t always maintain their shape over time. To prevent any potential future issues with posts Action Fencing began to use 200x200 HDG steel posts which are 5 to 6ml thick and very substantial. The posts are galvanised locally. Gates hinges have also been refined over time.

“ We used to use fixed hinges but now use thru gudgeons to take up the inevitable change in shape gates over time – future proofing

“The solar panel had to be placed in the most suitable spot for maximum sunlight and the operation system protected from weather and insect infestation, which has been something more prevalent in recent years” says Mel. “The clients decided upon a keypad and remotes for opening on site. GSM “We used to use fixed hinges but now use adjustable thru gudgeons to take up the inevitable change in shape of the gates over time – future proofing is key” Mel Actionsays.Fencing only use New Zealand made gates and Italian Brushless Technology from their trusted suppliers –nothing flimsy or unserviceable following installation, and their supplier back-up is amazing. The company has often been called out to service gates that were not been installed by their team. Mel understands the frustration of clients when Action Fencing are called out to service gates that were not installed by their team. “The problems we encounter in such situations are usually due to use of cheap, inadequate systems and inexperience of prior installers – a lack of foresight and future proofing. ‘Do it once and do it well’ is our motto!” (Global System for Mobile communication) allows you to open your gates remotely if required; we have even had clients opening their gate whilst on a cruise in Antarctica! A fab test of our system.”

is key

T H Fletcher Wire Products™ | Gallagher™ | Steel & Tube | WIREMARK®

“It’s crucial to have great supply partners to work with and develop best outcomes for our mutual customers. Gary being a qualified engineer helps with that too!”

“For the installation of a particular set of Mangawhai solar powered gates (photos above), we questioned our clients about the required aesthetic, potential maximum usage and peripheral options they might require such as GSM solutions” says Mel.

0800 330 bayonet.co.nz320 KIWI FARMKNOTFENCE Secure sheep, cattle and deer with Bayonet’s BayoZal Kiwi Knot Farm Fence. Suitable for farm fencing, predator/exclusion fencing and construction site fencing, Kiwi Knot is available in a range of sizes. Pick up yours from your local Rural Retailer or fencing products specialist today. Part# BSG401

In a change from the 2021 structure, 2022 saw the National Fencing Field Day (the second ever) being held on the first day of the Conference programme – Wednesday 3 August. The weather could not have been better for the day, an outcome that wasn’t expected from Mosgiel in the middle of Winter! Held at the Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds, the event had been advertised in the local paper and radio stations and the additional promotion was rewarded with fencing contractors and farmers from the area who stopped by to see what it was all about. The day offered plenty of opportunity to exercise the competitiveness that fencing contractors

2022ConferenceReport

As usual the time between Conference and the release of the September WIRED magazine has moved very quickly. In yet another year where COVID threatened to derail the best-laid event plans it was fabulous to see so many faces at the National Fencing Field Day (NFFD) and Conference in Dunedin last month. exhibited last year through the hammer throw (ladies and mens), guess the strainer weight, stride competitions, wire tying and battening competitions. A wire sculpture competition which took place in the showgrounds hall resulted in an impressive display of creativity – some of which can’t be shared here.

MIX & MINGLE DINNER Wednesday afternoon saw the Speights Alehouse abuzz at 5pm with old friends catching up and plenty of new acquaintances being made during the famous Mix & Mingle dinner. After a delicious meal and a few more liquid

This year the Carr Family Foundation’s new Rural Health & Wellness caravan attended with mental health advocate Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins. Offering free health and wellness checks, nurse Kirsty Barnes saw 41 NFFD attendees of which 34% were referred to see a doctor. Wiggy said that he found that rural guys in particular often pressured each other into getting their checks done - and this was quite apparent at the NFFD. Hopefully those referred have since followed up with their healthcare provider. Probably the most enjoyable part of the day for most was watching the students from Geraldine and Taieri High Schools College exhibit their fencing skills in a very impressive demonstration. The future of the fencing industry looks bright with tutors and students like these.

Wednesday 3 August

Events&Training 29WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ 2022CONFERENCE

NATIONAL FENCING FIELD DAY

Craig Wiggins (far right) with the Rural Health & Wellness caravan

A huge thanks to the Association partners who sponsored the Conference and exhibited at the NFFD, and to the members who attended both parts of the event.

On your marks... Todd Sherburd, Donald Cornwall, Peter Graham, Jeanette Miller, Wakaiti Dalton and Carol Noakes prepare to tackle Baldwin Street

After this wee bit of exercise the coaches headed off along the coast to the historic Carey’s Bay Hotel bar in Port Chalmers for the Bayonet Happy Hour. Built in 1874

Recordings of each workshop session will be available in the Members Area of the FCANZ website in due course.

Having sat for far too long, most of the group were more than ready to get out in the fresh air. What they were not expecting was a Baldwin Street relay challenge where groups of 4 had to get their Baldwin Street, Dunedin. Officially the steepest street in the world

Thursday morning was an early start, kicking off at 8.30am by welcoming those who were new to Conference. It was fantastic to see so many new faces in the audience, who by the end of Conference had established some new friends and connections in the industry and across the country. Following the welcome, the Board then provided attendees with an overview of what they had been working on since the last Conference and provided information on areas that ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Board Update was closely followed by the AGM. With no Board election required, the Association said farewell to Board member Mike Renner, confirmed Prue Younger and welcomed Janine Swansson. Following the resignation of Prue Younger in September, your current Fencing Contractors Association of NZ Executive Committee for 2022/2023 is now Shane Beets, Phil Cornelius, Janine Swansson, Donna Upton, Max Walton and Debbie White.

An integral part of the annual Conference programme, the hour-long member feedback forum provides a valuable opportunity for members to discuss areas of concern with the Board. As usual many topics were addressed including the Board Structure and Association management, the Certification process, a managed apprenticeship scheme, and a tweak to the Association name and branding (further details about this can be found in the Marketing update). We appreciate the input and comments received from those at the meeting and will be working hard to get the changes discussed in place as soon as possible.

FEEDBACK SESSION

Shane Bird shared tools for managing workplace stress performance as a team. Laurel reinforced some of what “Birdy” had already touched on but also made the valid point that sometimes outsourcing some tasks so you can focus on your core business is the smartest move.

ping-pong ball to the top of the world’s steepest street. Full credit needs to be given to everyone who joined in on the challenge and also those who climbed to the top (and back) anyway. They well and truly “knocked the bugger off”. Special mention to Peter Graham of the Graystone Partnership who ran (almost) all the way up AND back and was the first solo competitor to return to base.

The first to speak was Shane Bird. Known as the “Farmers Mindset Coach”, Shane took delegates through how some simple mindset changes can help manage stress in the workplace. This was followed by Stephen Caunter from ANZ who talked about some of the digital tools available to help streamline business processes and save some time on those painful admin processes. The final speaker of the day was business coach Laurel McLay who works with businesses to improve their Debbie White leads the discussion at the FCANZ member feedback forum

Thursday 4 August BOARD UPDATE

AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES

30 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE refreshments, the group took the short stroll to the fascinating Scenic Southern Cross ready for the early start the following morning.

WORKSHOPS Conference this year focused on providing some tools and tips for how to look at creating a work-life balance, which we know is something that many of us struggle with.

BAYONET HAPPY HOUR

Local fencer Kim Rapley then took delegates to a local switch-station that he and his team had security fenced with chain link made in his own yard. Unfortunately a bus malfunction prevented us visiting his site but did allow for a little bit of extra downtime to get ready for the gala dinner.

Third Place Quiz team: (L-R) Paul Fitzsimmons, Neil Robertson, Debbie Robertson, Denise Sherburd, Todd Sherburd, Sue Aspinall, Carol Noakes, and Chris Aspinall Lunch at Black Forest Deer Stud farm

this beautiful bluestone hotel no longer offers accommodation but is a charming pub and restaurant. Thanks to Bayonet, delegates enjoyed mulled wine (and other drinks) in front of the roaring fire before heading back to the Scenic Southern Cross for dinner and a quiz.

A short drive up the road took us to Black Forest deer stud farm for a BBQ lunch surrounded by some spectacular head mounts. After lunch farm manager WIlliam Benson provided a fascinating talk about bloodlines and animal handling before taking a tour through the deer holding area. It was an eye opener being up close to does that in many cases were larger than the stags found in the wild!

Quiz-master Stephen became auctioneerextraordinaire and even auctioned the literal shirt from his own back as the final item of the night. As a group we were able delivered delegates to Wal’s Plant Land for the morning where teams of 4 competed against each other across three disciplines - the driving range, mini golf and the living maze. Through a complicated yet fair scoring system that eliminated any possible match-fixing, the winners were determined and prizes awarded.

DINNER, QUIZ & IMPROMPTU AUCTION Dinner at the Scenic Southern Cross hotel was followed by a hotly contested quiz with quiz-master Stephen (the speaker from ANZ) joyfully handing out fines to raise funds for the Whatever With Wiggy charitable trust. Following the closely fought quiz the evening took an unexpected turn when it became a charity auction with FCANZ Partners and even members donating a huge array of prizes.

Friday 5 August ACTIVITIES Although an early(ish) start, Friday’s activities were designed to provide a bit of down-time while taking in some of the local attractions. The coaches

Dan Douglass, Ruben Connelly, Troy Knudsen and John Noakes take on the ‘Silver Peaks’ Stephen Caulter (still with his shirt) explaining the rules of the quiz

Events&Training 31WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ 2022CONFERENCE

Zoe Max & Eli Palmer of EZ Fencing take some time out during Friday’s activities to raise a massive $15,000 to allow Wiggy to carry on delivering his mental health advocacy services through the Whatever With Wiggy charitable trust. It was a humbling experience to be part of and everyone who donated, bid or purchased during the evening should be incredibly proud of themselves.

Conference 2023

32 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE TelescopicMountsownMastmodels

Hauntingly beautiful Larnach Castle

Announced at the Gala Dinner was the location for Conference 2023. New Plymouth here we come! Keep an eye out for announcements soon on dates and details. Thanks again to everyone who came and made the Conference the success it was. We look forward to hosting many more of you next year.

The Haggis Ceremony Mike Renner, John Noakes and Donna Upton participating in the Haggis Ceremony

GALA DINNER

The Stockade Happy Hour and Gala Dinner this year were held at the spectacular Larnach Castle. A lone piper piped delegates off the bus and up the stairs into the beautifully lit Castle. Once seated in the ballroom for dinner the hilarious haggis ceremony began and provided an excellent way to farewell outgoing Board member Mike Renner. His fellow haggis-ites Noksee and Donna Upton were also excellent with everyone playing their parts beautifully. After dinner comedian Simon McKinney continued the night of hilarity by thoroughly entertaining everyone with his set. We are not sure how the team will top a castle next year!

New Plymouth here we come!

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Keys to a healthy mindset

The easiest and fastest way to keep a healthy mindset is to make sure we’re cleaning out the ‘little stuff’ before it becomes ‘big stuff’. enough’, then this is going to produce a more negative state of mind. By shifting the meaning to something more empowering, such as ‘there is a lesson here’, or ‘this is a weakness I need to work on’, or ‘this will help me become better at what I do’, then it means we will look for ways to grow and strengthen ourselves. And as we grow and strengthen our self we are then able to have a stronger mindset.

Prevention is the best medicine – every day we should apply these three ‘Daily Reflection Questions’:

3 key steps to a healthy mindset are as follows:

If we don’t clean our minds of the little niggles early on they tend to pile up and get out of control to the point where they can become overwhelming. By taking actions daily we’re going to eliminate small unwanted negative thoughts building up to become big allencompassing negative thoughts.

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a) What is working well?

2. Meaning The meaning we give to any situation is 100% responsible for how we see the way through it (or seeming like there is no way through it).

What can we do to lower and eliminate stress that has been caused by not maintaining a healthy mindset?

If we’re looking at an issue and then we say to ourselves ‘this is going to be hard’, or ‘it’s annoying’, or ‘it’s frustrating’, then we’re going to end up focusing more on hard, annoying or Whatfrustrating.wewant to do is apply an empowering meaning to any situation. We want to look at how the situation is going to benefit us, or make us stronger, or make us better, or give us a lesson which will help streamline our Onlife/business.adeeperlevel if we say ‘this means I’m failure’, or ‘this means I’m not worthy’, or ‘this means I’m not good

Only EVERYTHING has the meaning we give it. or optimistic then our physiology reflects that and we will be more approachable and the conversation will be much more constructive.

Applying the three key steps to a Healthy Mindset will mean when we are stressed (and we will all face some sort of stress) then we can handle the stress with ease.

“ Where you focus your energy and attention is exactly what you’ll get more of 3. Communication How we communicate is very important to the outcome that we want. It is not just the way we communicate with others such as staff members or family, it’s very important to understand how we communicate with ourselves. The things we say to ourselves when we are by ourselves are the most dangerous things we will ever hear. Because if we’re putting ourselves down, saying ‘I’m a failure’, or saying ‘I’m hopeless’, or saying ‘I am no good’, then this will lead to more self-doubt, low self-worth and low self-esteem. When we shift the internal dialogue again to empowering statements, then we build up our self-worth, and self-esteem, and selfconfidence. And isn’t it true when we are confident we believe we can handle any Whensituation?weare speaking to others communication is also very important because the words we use directly are only responsible for 7% of how the communication is received, 38% of it is actually the tonality in which it said, and 55% is the physiology in which we hold ourselves. So if we are frustrated, angry or overwhelmed, our physiology reflects that, and the people we communicate with read our physiology more than the actual words we speak. If we are upbeat,

a) What was most stressful today?

If we are caught up in a negative mindset and need to process a situation, ‘Ask Better Quality Questions’:

1. Focus This is the most important thing to maintain a healthy mindset, because where you focus your energy and attention is exactly what you’ll get more of. By focusing on what’s wrong, we’re going to find more of what’s wrong. If we’re able to focus on ways to resolve a problem or challenge then we’re going to look for opportunities and other ways to resolve the problem or challenge we have. It takes a conscious effort to focus on what’s right versus what’s wrong. Ask yourself better questions like “What am I missing here? What am I not yet seeing? What’s a better way?” What’s WRONG is always available, but so is what’s RIGHT.

b) How well did I handle it? c) What will I do differently next time?

b) What am I not seeing here? c) What is another option here?

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• Your customers are stressed (some can be particularly demanding) and you don’t like pushing back on their price or timeline expectations, after all, you pride yourself on your outstanding customer service.

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Here is a simple road map to help you feel more confident about your future and be able to switch off and have more down time.

1. Stop and take a deep breath (this is probably about the most important step; we need to slow down to speed up).

So, what can you do about it?

Fast forward to today, and the reality might look quite different.

So much for your previous rat race, suddenly the idea of working in a 9 to 5 job, where all you need to do is show up, is looking way more appealing.

• Sometimes you feel like an imposter, wondering if you really are cut out for running your own business, and that doesn’t feel very good.

• You are working more hours than ever

• There is a pile of work out there, and you are worried that if you don’t ‘make hay while the sun shines’ then the bubble will burst, and you will be financially strained

When you first started up (or joined) your fencing business, you were probably looking forward to a lifestyle business, where you could enjoy the scenery, escape the rat race, and maybe even enjoy doing something together with your spouse if you are in business with them. What’s more, if you are in business with a family member, you might find that it is consuming you both day and night and there is simply no time to switch off.

How can I work smarter not harder in my business?!

STEP ONE Work out exactly where you are right now As human beings, we tend to focus on the negatives not the positives, or ‘deficit thinking’. It’s all about neuropsychology and being hard wired to keep a watch on threats that have long since stopped being a reality (it’s just our operating system hasn’t caught up). Here’s how to work out exactly where you are right now, in many situations you may discover things aren’t quite as bad as you think they are.

And is there even an end in sight? Well, the answer is, unless you change the way you work, the end may very well be a health issue (particularly mental health), a crisis or sadly even a marriage break up.

Workload

• Do I have systems in place which save me time?

• Do I have access to experts who can help me? Eg admin, accounting, marketing, pricing, networking, coaching? Customer • Do I know who my ‘ideal customer’ is, eg pays on time, doesn’t change their mind, understands realistic timeframes, pays me what I am worth?

• Is there any type of work that I am particularly good at, or like?

• Do I have a pricing model that keeps me on track for doing profitable work?

• How many of my existing customers are ‘ideal’ or close to it? How many are high maintenance and may even cost me money? Self • How is my work impacting my personal life?

So many of us never stop to think about this. We know what sports team or Netflix series we like to watch, but we don’t know what we want out of something we are involved with, day in day out. Have a look at each of the five areas above, and ask yourself, what would they ideally look like? In fact, better still, what would ‘satisfactory’ look like? Sometimes we are unrealistic with what we want, but there is nothing unrealistic about wanting a satisfactory work life blend where you can switch off from work regularly. Involve a partner if they work with you. For each area, write down a paragraph that captures your goals. As an example, for customers it might be “I have a select group of customers, who pay on time, pay me well and appreciate my value. They understand the reality of the current situation and trust that I am working as well as I can to deliver what they need in a professional and timely manner.”

1. Refine your business model Trying to be all things to all people is exhausting. Is there a type of customer you particularly work well with? How about specialising? Are there any customers who you could let go of? A scary thought, but when we are selective and focused on who we work with, we have a better chance of delivering value and generating consistent profit.

Once you have worked out what you want, the final step is so much easier. It’s when we continue to exist in a vicious cycle of survival and lack of clarity on direction and priorities that we don’t know what to do.

And finally, do you have someone in your life who can hold you to account?

Eg make sure you follow through on the commitments you have made on your plan?

• Do we have an open environment where we can talk freely?

What do you want out of your business?

STEP TWO Decide (and agree with any partner) where you want to be

3. Get help! Are you doing it all on your own? When anyone offers help, do you politely decline? As humans, we rely on each other way more than we realise, and trying to be independent all the time will not help you get what you want. Hiring an expert or business coach who can look at your business model or accounting system might sound expensive but could save you thousands in the long run. Are there jobs that you do as the business owner that a local contractor could do instead?

38 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ CONFERENCE 2022 Article supplied by Laurel McLay

• Do I have a simple way of winding down?

STEP THREE Work out a simple plan to get there and get some help to make it happen

Here are three simple parts to a plan, which could not only help you feel less stressed, but also deliver a profitable and consistent return on your business,

2. Set up boundaries Your whole business is about boundaries. What about the boundaries you set yourself? Identify (to start with) a couple of nights of the week where you won’t work after dinner. Plan a trip away, even a short and inexpensive one. If you work with your partner, agree with them when you can talk about work, and when you can’t. Review your agreements with your customers and see if you can introduce a bit more wiggle room around deadlines and pricing. They can be a lot more reasonable than we imagine, so often the challenge is that we never ask them!

By putting aside a few hours, where you can assess where you are, work out what good looks like and draft up a plan to focus on what next, the future may in fact look better than it did!

• Is there any type of work which looks like it is becoming more in demand? People • Are my fellow workers engaged? Productive?

2. Think about the following areas and ask yourself questions which will provide you with an accurate assessment of where you are right now, here are some examples. Finance • Am I happy with what I am earning?

• How does my upcoming work look? • What is my own workload like? Do I often work after hours?

• Do we all work well together? Can we stick to what we each are meant to be doing, and muck in when needed?

• Do my margins cover my expenses and give me enough profit?

Once you have reflected on these areas, you will have a better idea of where you are. This might sound obvious, but time and time again, people don’t stop to assess their current situation.

Quietly let go of any customers who are causing you too much stress and are quite simply a hassle in your life. Health boundaries are especially important. Be mindful of any sleep or eating patterns that drain your energy. Make sure you place priority on your personal activities, this goes a long way in making sure you get replenished and can stay on top of your game during your work hours.

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Waratah Exhibitors included Waratah, Beattie Insulators, Steel and Tube, Strainrite, Delfast, Boundaryline, FENCEQUIP, Edgesmith, Summit, Farmlands, Gallagher, Southland Farm machinery with Fencepro, Power Farming with Kinghitter, Bayonet, Secondary Schools skills challenge

The FCANZ National Fencing Field Day was held on the Wednesday preceding the 2022 Conference and gratefully the weather played its part in a fine, near mild day without the high winds that cancelled and delayed so many flights into Dunedin on the Tuesday. With around 20 exhibitors that service the fencing industry the site layout worked well with a Secondary Schools skills challenge down one end and the exhibitors lined up on the other three sides. shirt, blue glasses, and a stack of blue wire: Brendon Crequer,

The Otago-Taieri A&P Showgrounds proved to be a valuable site, though it’s always hard to plan for an event on a site you have never laid eyes on. Certainly A&P Showgrounds infrastructure tends to suit our events.

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Blue

Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin

Footings test results

Female:

Ivan Beattie of Beattie Insulators, testing wire tension with David Swansson

A final note: No nails pulled out or wires were broken in the lifting process. If the swinging foot was at 600mm it would have taken more than 1.5 ton of lift as the ground was loosened up by boring close to the post. So some interesting results but remember, different ground conditions can dramatically change the lift results, so know the ground you are working in.

Results of the FCANZ Field Day Guess the weight of the Strainer (65.5kg)

the Giraffe

results

discuss

There were 7 different footing techniques used in very tight silty loam/clay soils. The gauge used limited out at 3.5 ton of lift.

Footing technique Result

Hit the Nail Competition action

Non member: Peter Graham (66kg)

Aaron

Member: Andrew Abercrombie (62kg) (70.3m) Sutherland (70.2) the Nail Jake Scott (3 hits) Guess the Staple (1049 Staples) Watson (1001) Throw Male: Ben Haugh (48m) Donna Upton Jack Easen Michael Conijn Zoe Harold (below)

5. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with no tie down Pulled out at 1.8 ton of lift 6. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with No8 wire attached to a whole waratah Pulled out at 2.5 ton of lift

Danyel

Stockade, Revolution Postdrivers, Activ Trailers, W.Rietveld Ltd (rock drilling) Stronghold and Micky Thompson tyres. Discussion topics included a review of different types of footings, electrics, and rail work. Our thanks to Mark Lambert and Tony White for heading these, alongside MC John Noakes.

Hammer

Female:

Javelin Member:

Max Waratah Wire Sculpture Ez Fencing:

A number of competitions were run by FCANZ and exhibitors including Summit, Waratah, Strainrite and Stockade.

The Carr Family Foundation Rural Health Caravan ran checks on over 40 people – a sincere thank you to Craig Wiggins and Nurse Kirsten Barnes who carried out the health checks.

Non-member:

Waratah

John Noakes and Tony White footings

1. 1.2.4m x 125 round post driven to 1200mm into ground Limited out on the gauge at 3.5 ton of lift so it took considerably more to lift out without the gauge 2. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with half a waratah attached with a 1.25 angler groove nail Pulled out at 1.8 ton of lift 3. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a half waratah attached by a 6-inch nail Pulled out at 2.1 ton of lift

This Field Day came together with help from the FCANZ Board, Jeanette, Jaime, local contractor Nick Terry and some of his crew members, Tony White and John Noakes. Chris and Sue Aspinall turned up on the Tuesday and Wednesday to help, along with Angelina Beets. As they say many hands make light work!.

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4. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a whole waratah attached by a 125-angler groove nail Pulled out at 2.1 ton of lift

Hit

7. 8m x 150 post driven to 600mm into ground with a swinging foot attached, but not driven to the bottom of the post Pulled out at 1.5 ton of lift

Competitions

Stride/Distance

wire strainer different ways. Year 12 students get their chainsaw ticket and advance to digging in posts and stays. These students are all out on farm one day per week where they are able to put their skills into action.

Our top students enter in the Adult Young Farmer Fencing competition consistently making the top 3 in our region.

2022 has seen students working for local fencing contractors in the holidays and taking on projects of their own eg, building a fence for the Peel Forest Preschool and the boundary fence along the school river. The students have proven to be invaluable during the 2021 floods fixing fences and taking some of the stress off our farmers.

Geraldine High School’s Primary Industry Academy (PIA) class was lucky enough to join the FCANZ National Fencing Field Day. Back in the day PIA introduced themselves to Whangārei on our class trip in July and invited themselves to the FCANZ National Fencing Field Day to run an event to showcase what school students are capable of. We were lucky enough to make friends with Donna Upton (FCANZ / NorthTec), Phil Cornelius (FCANZ) & Jim Smith (NorthTec) meeting up with them in the torrential, horizontal rain at the Young Farmer Final.

In Mosgiel we got some experience in what setting up a competition could look like with the aim of the day being to show what teenagers are capable of to the posh people of the fencing world, receive feedback that what we are teaching is what employers want, and pick up valuable tips and hints.

“ For us the whole day was pure gold and made leaving home to start the first student pickups at 4am well worthwhile

PIA is recognised as one of the top schools in New Zealand for practical primary sector training. We have been running for around 10 years modifying the course along the way and discovering that fencing is our “thing”. At school the students each have their own set of posts and all the tools thanks to Strainrite, Waratah, Stockade & Geraldine ITM. In year 11 the main focus is wire work centered around a basic line with figure 8 knots, crimps and adding in a permanent …take them to a Fencing Field Day and watch the job offers roll in.

How to lose 15 students in a single day…

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Our demonstration consisted of 2 categories both using teams of 3. The strainers were pre-driven (massive thank you to Nick Terry from Custom Fencing). We had 7 teams in total consisting of 5 GHS and 2 Taieri High School. Class 1 – Intermediate Dig in an intermediate post and breast block, 3 wires, use a triplex 3 ways, set up electrics, add in a crimp and fig 8. Class 2 – Advanced As above, adding in a box and angle stays and chamfering the strainers. For us the whole day was pure gold and made leaving home to start the first student pickups at 4am well worthwhile. We can’t thank Donna and the team at FCANZ enough for this opportunity and to all the amazing contractors who stopped by for a yarn and were so willing to give up their time to hang out with the teenagers and share their expertise.

Please Contact us for more details

Chief Judge: Owen Petersen Committee: Paul Van Beers, Nick Liefting, Wayne Newdick, Shane Bouskill, Mark Lambert, Matt Jones, Hugh Morrison, Tim Garrick, Cory Twigley, Debbie White Judges subcommittee: Owen Petersen, Colin Browne, Paul Van Beers, Wayne Newdick, Craig Graham (technical) and Nigel Higgins.

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Colin Browne stepped down as Chief Judge and we thank him for his knowledge, time and contribution to this top position.

The NZ Fencing Competitions (NZFC) AGM was held in July with the following officials elected: Chairman: Nigel Higgins Vice: Owen Petersen

Secretary/Treasurer: Leanne Stanger

NZFC’s aim is to encourage and support new competitors and a mentoring scheme was discussed with a view of implementation. This will mean that in the regionals newer competitors will receive guidance from experienced competitors who include some of the top names in the industry. It’s invaluable training towards fencing fundamentals and improving your systems, which then feeds back into your business. Competitions are also a great training ground in a supportive environment for your workers.

NZ Fencing Competitions Update COMPETITION DATES 2022/23 Gisborne Saturday 15 October 2022 Hawke’s Bay Friday 21 October 2022 West Otago Saturday 19 November 2022 National Fieldays 28 November – 2 December 2022 King Country Saturday 11 February 2023 Rural Games Saturday 11 March 2023 Central Districts Friday 17 March 2023 South Island – Kirwee Thursday 30 March 2023 National Fieldays 12-16 June 2023 For further details and competition entry forms please ensure your email is on our database by contacting NZFC Admin, Leanne Stanger office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nz or 0272009630

National Championship Sponsors Entry forms out mid-March 16 JUNE Wednesday 8:30 11:30amam Fieldays®Bill 17 JUNE Thursday 8:15 am ChampionshipGolden 18 JUNE Friday 8:15 am DoublesFieldays® 18 JUNE Friday 4 pm Prize 18 JUNE Friday From 5 pm Fencers/Sponsors National Championship SponsorsFENCING16BroughtCOMPETITIONStoyoubyNZFC-18JUNE2021 Who will win the Golden Pliers™ by WIREMARK®? Who will win the Golden Pliers™ by WIREMARK®? Will it be YOU?Will it be YOU? Entry forms out mid-March 14 JUNE Monday 8 am Qualifying heats 16 JUNE Wednesday 8:30 11:30amam Bill Schuler Final Fieldays® Silver Staples 17 JUNE Thursday 8:15 am Golden Pliers™ Singles Championship by WIREMARK® 18 JUNE Friday 8:15 am Fieldays® Silver Spades Doubles Championship 18 JUNE Friday 4 pm Prize giving in the Village Green 18 JUNE Friday From 5 pm Fencers/Sponsors Dinner MYSTERY CREEK HAMILTON - National Championship SponsorsPlease check on FB for the Fieldays Fencing Competitions entry forms or office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nzemailNew Zealand Fencing Competitions FENCING16BroughtCOMPETITIONStoyoubyNZFC-18JUNE2021 Who will win the Golden Pliers™ by WIREMARK Who will win the Golden Pliers™ by WIREMARK®? Will it be YOU?Will it be YOU? Entry forms out mid-March 14 JUNE Monday 8 am Qualifying heats 16 JUNE Wednesday 8:30 11:30amam Bill Schuler Final Fieldays® Silver Staples 17 JUNE Thursday 8:15 am Golden Pliers™ Singles Championship by WIREMARK® 18 JUNE Friday 8:15 am Fieldays® Silver Spades Doubles Championship 18 JUNE Friday 4 pm Prize giving in the Village Green 18 JUNE Friday From 5 pm Fencers/Sponsors Dinner MYSTERY CREEK HAMILTON - National Championship SponsorsPlease check on FB for the Fencing Competitions entry office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nzformsNew Zealand Fencing Competitions Come and see all the action! FENCING COMPETITIONS Brought to you by NZFC 30 NOVEMBER - 2 DECEMBER 2022 Wednesday 30 November 11:00am8.30am Bill Schuler Final Fieldays Silver Staples Thursday 1 December 8:00am Golden Pliers™ Singles Championship by WIREMARK® Friday 2 December 8:00am Fieldays® Silver Spades Doubles Championship Friday 2 December 4:30pm

1. A builder plans to reconstruct an earthquake-damaged timber retaining wall that is less than 1.5 metres high. There is no surcharge on the retaining wall, so a consent is not needed.

2. A motel owner decides to terrace the motel’s uphill sloping section by building three, 1.2 metre high concrete crib retaining walls to create three level platforms, each of which will be planted. As there will be sufficient horizontal separation between each of the retaining walls so that no surcharge load will be imposed on a lower wall, no building consent will be needed.

What needs consent?

1. Constructing a retaining wall on a rural property with a height of 3 metres, 1 metre away from an existing dwelling and designed by a Chartered Professional Engineer. A building consent is required because the wall is closer to the dwelling than its own height.

Retaining walls up to 1.5 metres depth of ground: The Building Act 2004, Schedule 1, Exemption 20 allows you to build a retaining wall (which is any wall constructed to retain or support the surrounding ground) without needing to get a building consent as long as it does not retain more than 1.5 metres (vertically) of ground and it includes ground water drainage in relation to retaining walls. This exemption does not apply to retaining walls that are subject to any additional load or surcharge such as: • vehicle driveways • parking spaces • swimming pools • buildings • other retaining walls • sloping ground above the top of the retaining wall If the ground above the top of the retaining wall is only gently sloping, this may not be considered as ‘surcharge’. To determine the impact of the sloping ground and its pressure on the stability of the proposed retaining wall, you may wish to seek professional advice, for example, from a Chartered Professional Engineer.

Article provided by: Nick Liefting Nick Liefting Contractors Ltd nlcontractors.co.nz

2. A farmer decides to rebuild an earthquake-damaged retaining wall on their rural property that is 3 metres high and located 6 metres away from a legal boundary. The wall design has been reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer.

How Retainingto: walls

2. Constructing a retaining wall on a rural property that is 3 metres high and 5 metres away from the property boundary which has been designed by an engineer, but not a Chartered Professional Engineer. Though the retaining wall is not located closer to a legal boundary than its own height, a building consent is required as the wall has not been designed or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer.

2. A retaining wall ranges in height from 900 millimetres to 1.8 metres. The part of the retaining wall that exceeds the maximum allowable height of 1.5 metres will require a building consent.

Retaining walls that do not require a building consent under the Building Act 2004 are as follows:

Examples: What is exempt?

The Building Act 2004, Schedule 1, Exemption 41 exempts retaining walls designed or reviewed by a Chartered Professional Engineer of up to 3 metres and in a rural zone, as long as they are not too close from the boundary or existing buildings. This exemption recognises that in low density rural zones such as farms, the consequences of failure of any retaining wall are less likely to cause injury than they would be in higher density urban environments. The additional requirement for a Chartered Professional Engineer to be involved also helps to make sure that retaining walls covered under this exemption are less likely to fail.

In this second instalment of our focus on retaining walls, Nick Liefting explains the conditions under which Retaining Walls are exempt from building consent.

Consent for retaining walls

What needs consent?

1. Constructing a retaining wall on a rural property that is 2.5 metres high, 3 metres away from an existing dwelling, and is designed by a Chartered Professional Engineer.

Retaining walls up to 3 metres depth of ground

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3. Retaining walls with surcharge regardless of height.

1. An owner wishes to form a level platform for a garden below a neighbour’s driveway. To do this, she intends to construct a 1.2 metre high retaining wall. As the proposed retaining wall is subject to a surcharge from the neighbour’s vehicle driveway, it will require a building consent.

Examples: What is exempt?

delfast.com Supporting NZ farmers and fencers since 1992 FENCING, FARMING...

fencershand.co.nz GATE GUDGEON COUNTER SINKING DRILL BIT One tool = drills gudgeon hole + position for nut and washer ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Phone Penny Webster 021 390 317 SCAN THE QR CODE OR www.strainrite.co.nzVISIT for product information and over 100 instructional videos Manufacturing quality fencing tools and equipment for over 46 years. Check out these products to help get your fencing jobs done at www.strainrite.co.nz

“A young man at the start of his working life now has seriously impaired vision. It’s astounding for an employer to not understand the seriousness of the situation.”“Thecost of health and safety is part of the cost of doing business. The eyePPE,withbeenshouldworkerhaveprovidedappropriateincludingprotection,and required to wear it when using a chisel and hammer or any other task where there is a risk of an eye injury.”

You cannot make your worker provide their own PPE as a condition of employment. Even when a worker provides his or her own PPE, the employer must ensure that the equipment is adequate to protect the worker from hazards at the workplace.

• Judge Raoul Neave ordered $22,500 be paid to victim for emotional harm and consequential loss

The agricultural fencing sole trader had a 17 year old worker who was chiselling when a piece of metal flew into his right eye in March 2020. didThesightthemultipleDespitesurgeries,teenagerlostintheeye.fencingcontractornotnotifyWorkSafe of the injury, as required, but several months later the victim’s mother did, triggering an investigation.

49WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

He also indicated to WorkSafe he felt it was too expensive to buy PPE, saying: “I’m too small for that sort of… carry on”.

The contractor was charged under the Health & Safety at Work Act and in July 2022 was sentenced to pay $22,500 in emotional harm and consequential loss in the Kaikoura District Court. When a WorkSafe inspector asked the fencing contractor whether he told workers to use protective gear, his response was: “I’m not their mother and going to dress them every morning”.

Every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to their employees who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.

Workers who are vulnerable because of age, inexperience, or conditions of employment may be less likely to question health and safety practices or to speak up if they are unsure.

Safety and PPE

“ It’s both illegal and morally wrong for an employer of any size to not notify WorkSafe of an incident like this. No employer is exempt WorkSafe prosecution:

You cannot pass on the cost of providing PPE (in full or part) to your workers.

“Beyond the obvious health and safety gaps in this case, it’s both illegal and morally wrong for an employer of any size to not notify WorkSafe of an incident like this. No employer is exempt,” says Hayden Mander.

• The fencing contractor was also charged under sections 56(1) and (6)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 being a PCBU who became aware that a notifiable event arising out of the conduct of the business or undertaking occurred on 12 March 2020 (the notifiable injury), failed to ensure that the regulator, WorkSafe New Zealand, was notified of the event as soon as possible.

What is your duty? A reminder for PCBU and Officers/Directors. Employers MUST pay for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

• The fencing contractor was charged under sections 36(1)(a), 48(1) and (2)(b) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 being a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) having a duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU, while workers were at work in the business or undertaking, namely while erecting a fence, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed workers to a risk of serious injury.

In a recent WorkSafe prosecution, a Kaikoura fencing contractor was convicted and ordered to pay costs for failing to provide appropriate eye protection for an employee.

“I’m not their mother” no excuse for lax health and safety

EnvironmentandSafety&HealthBusiness,

WorkSafe’s national manager of investigations, Hayden Mander says the employer’s comments reflect an outdated, unacceptable, and cavalier attitude.

• The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $10,000 www.ruralsafe.co.nz

It was confirmed that he had not provided full instruction to the victim on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety glasses, because in his words “it was common sense”.

• The maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $300,000.

1. Invest in your onboarding (and win back your time)

Often we are too close to our work and assume that the client knows more than they do. Many clients have no idea what goes into a job. That’s why they’re often coming to you with queries as the job progresses. Instead, set things up right: Create a brief “how we work” guide. It serves as a conversation starter on what clients can realistically expect. This sets your standards from the outset and is something you can go through with every new client. Include things like: The process – very clearly lay out each step including due dates of decisions they’ll need to make.

If only they knew everything you’ve done to ensure a quality job. So why are they complaining?

Ever found yourself at the finish line of a job but the customer still wanted more?

• When and how they can expect updates. Is it site photos, videos, in-person walk-throughs?

• But in most cases – the real cause is a breakdown in communication.

50 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

Business Coach Daniel Fitzpatrick shares the soft skills you’ll need to make sure your customers are thrilled with the end result, pay on time, and tell all their friends about you.

• What happens if progress payments are missed (ie. work stops).

• When milestone meetings will be (these should be in person for bigger jobs).

• What handover will look like. Getting your onboarding right builds trust with customers and means they “ The trick is to be clear about what your ideal client looks like - so you can quickly recognise the ones you don’t want

Here’s what’s interesting: If you can bring your communication up a notch – most complaints will disappear before they even begin. Saving you hours of extra work and stress.

You did everything you could to get it right. Hustled to find materials. Answered their calls after hours. Agreed to meet them on site whenever they had concerns.

5 tips for smooth sailing through client communication

Here’s 5 winning strategies:

The good news? Communication is a skill. This means it can be learned. You can always be improving.

• Usually the pushback is over workmanship.

The secret is that great communication is proactive. From the first conversation with your customer to the final walkthrough to ensure they’re happy.

• When and how they can contact you (eg you’ll reply ASAP but only during work hours).

You need to have good systems and rules for your crew so things aren’t missed. Send your team into jobs fully loaded: Use detailed job folders, set processes for the way things should be done, and quality control checklists. Have clear standards and expectations that your team is accountable to – and rewarded for. This helps your staff take ownership. (Those with attitudes will either step up or step out.)

Daniel Fitzpatrick Want to bring your team up to a professional level while you charge the premium prices you deserve? Book a free strategy chat with me here: www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

• A quick courtesy call to follow up after completion. Make “looking good to the customer” a team mission. And educate staff on the actual value of a customer. Show them how much it costs to acquire new customers.

aren’t left in the dark about what’s coming next. So you’re free to work on the job itself. Without being bombarded with questions at inconvenient times.

• Treat their property like your own. Remove rubbish. Leave the site better than you found it.

• Explain things in their terms. (If your mum wouldn’t understand it, they probably won’t either.)

• Give a final handover worthy of their investment. Take your time, walk them through, show them all that went into the job. Any niggles can be easily squashed.

You can easily wow and delight customers if you just do a few small things right: • Tell your clients about the things you aren’t charging them for. Like when you encounter a hiccup and have to spend extra time spent prepping the job.

You’ll need to test if your assumptions are correct. If they are, be the nice guy with a backbone. Tell them your company isn’t the right fit for this work. Avoid the temptation to explain these signs away; you’ll thank yourself later.

4. Separate yourself from the rest Most tradies aren’t concentrating on delivering great communication. It’s an easy opportunity to get ahead of your competition.

You’ll get more effort and buy in from them when they understand this.

EnvironmentandSafety&HealthBusiness, 2022

2. Find the real issue (if they’re getting too involved) What if the customer starts questioning your work? It’s a familiar scenario: They’ve spent 2 minutes on Google or chatted to a builder mate. Now they’ve got some “helpful tips” for Theyyou.think they know better when you’ve been in the trades your whole working life! It’s perfectly natural to feel frustrated – but it won’t make things better. These customers probably just heard too many stories. From people with leaky homes, or who had a bad reno and told them all about it.

You can stay in control by digging deeper: Ask them what they’ve heard. Uncover their main concern. Repeat back to them to make sure you Thenunderstand.explainyour process and why what they are afraid of won’t happen. You’ll diffuse the situation, and make them feel reassured they’re in safe hands.

The trick is to be clear about what your ideal client looks like – so you can quickly recognise the ones you don’t want. Look: It’s okay to turn down work. Just because someone offers you work doesn’t mean they’re a good customer. Make sure you notice any red flags when you first chat with clients. Have they had problems with other tradies before you? Do they want the job done yesterday? Do they complain about their neighbours even? These might be signs they’re difficult to deal with.

51WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER

• Arrive on time, or if running late, text an update. (81% of customers find lateness highly unprofessional. Don’t get off on the wrong foot.)

Getting these operating systems right means you can be away from site without worrying what is going on. Keep tabs on the right things – then you or your foreman can intervene early if issues crop up.

Ultimately: Put a bit of extra effort into communication and you’ll quickly become known as the best. Expect 5-star reviews, good recommendations... and bigger and better jobs with clients you enjoy.

“ You need to have good systems and rules for your crew so things aren’t missed. Send your team into jobs fully loaded: Use detailed job folders, set processes for the way things should be done, and quality control checklists.

No doubt about it: When potential issues crop up during the job, clear and transparent communication is a must. Be in touch early and often.

5. Build a team your customers love As your team grows, it gets harder to keep consistent standards on all jobs. Quality slips. Mistakes happen. Still, it’s your reputation on the line. You’re the one explaining it to the That’scustomer.why when tradies come to me for business advice, one of the first things we look at is team performance. Getting everyone on the same page and improving individually and as a team.

3. Learn to say no to the clients you don’t want Some customers are, of course, more trouble than they’re worth. We’ve all been there: They didn’t pay on time. Had unrealistic expectations. Maybe even got aggressive. They definitely complained about everything.

With these things in place, you can deal with problems before the client ever sees them. Less re-work and complaints. No squabbles over the bill.

• Train your crew to be extra polite –please, thank you, excuse me. No swearing.

And if there are any issues with them breaking, Goldpine will replace them.

52 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

The three-kilometre boundary fence, with eight-wires including two hot wires, is on rolling countryside with reasonably forgiving terrain, Shane says. “There’s a little bit of steeper stuff, but it’s not too bad.” There is eight kilometres of internal fencing to carry out as well, “but I think it’s going to be more than that.”

At this stage the property has around 1200 ewes and some cattle, but that will increase over time, Shane says. The new owner is also taking on a large amount of native planting of the wetlands, and is using seeds from existing bush on the property to carry it out.

“It’s a no-brainer as far as farm fencing goes, especially with the added compliance costs these days.”

A withfencelineaview

One challenge the location had thrown up was getting material and machinery to the job, relying on transport across to the island which could be two hours apart.

Although he wasn’t short of work back home, Shane and Joelene were happy to take it “There’son.plenty of work happening down here (in Hawke’s Bay), but he’s purchased this block and it needs to be fenced up, so we are just helping him out.”

Quarter rounds perform just as well as a full rounds, Shane reckons. “They’re quite strong, the quarter-round “Youposts.don’t really need to use full rounds, and it’s pretty hard to get full rounds at the moment as well.”

Shane is well known in the fencing industry having taken out the Golden Pliers competition four times and also winning the world title. However, his son Tony knocked him off the perch in 2018, taking the national title and having done so each year since. Together, Shane and Tony have won the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 Silver Spades doubles titles.

An order of 48,000 metres was on its way to complete the job.

So far on the job, machinery and tools has included a tractor and post driver, skid steer with a ram and a four-wire jenny. They are using Goldpine quarter round posts, which you don’t see a lot of in the area where full rounds are a more common sight.

The price point on quarter rounds was good too, helping to keep the cost down for the client, he said.

Accommodation is provided for them on the property while they carry out job, while a worker takes care of their business back home.

So, when Hawke’s Bay-based contractors Shane and Joelene Bouskill were approached about a job fencing up a newly purchased farm on the island, they were happy to oblige. The 800-acre property was purchased by an old boss of Shane’s, who owns the neighbouring property.

It added to the cost and was “a bit of a Shanehassle”.and

Joelene are managing to get through about 700 metres a week and are using Waratah’s longlife blue wire, which Shane was confident would stand up to the area’s coastal conditions.

There are worse places to knock up a fenceline than the picturesque Waiheke Island near Auckland.

“You’ve got to barge everything over, so you’re running on a timetable.”

Rosa Watson

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Jake Burns remembers growing up surrounded by all things fencing and farming – he soaked it all up. At 15, he left school and began working for a local contractor in Matamata.

Jake’s dad, Bryce Burns, was a fencing contractor too. Bryce carried on farming but had hung up the wire strainers by the time Jake took up the tools 12 years ago.

“Gisborne is challenging land. Steep rough rugged country in the back blocks. At the time I started there, everything was done by hand because you couldn’t get a lot of machinery up into the hills. It was spade and hammer stuff. Physical work.”

54 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

Over the last decade, Jake has found what techniques work for him and developed his own style. “When I started fencing, I knew the basics. Then, as I moved around the country, I saw that many fencing contractors had their own ways of doing things. It was a great way to learn a lot of different fencing skills and techniques as well as what fence or wire work might suit one environment more that another. I love that “Anothervariety.”great aspect of fence contracting, is that we are a curious bunch. It’s not unusual to have a bit of a yarn and share ideas about different fencing systems or the best tools we’ve used across various projects.”

Variety is the spice of life

“ As a business, I focus on rural fencing and stock yards. I don’t expect to be the biggest fencing contractor in the region, but I want my reputation as a fencer to be built on the quality of my work, efficiency, and reliability

“Now, in Te Anau, the ground is hard. We use rock spikes and rock drills to blast through bedrock. Some people use explosives as well. It is definitely some of the hardest ground that I have fenced in. Steep in places, but mostly rolling hill country down to flat land. It took me some time learning how to fence in this ground coming from the Waikato. Up North, it is soft ground and beautiful soil. Down here, it is hard rocky ground, totally different.”

Fence work quickly took the teenager across the Waikato, down to Taranaki, over to Gisborne on the East Coast, and South to the Mackenzie Basin, then through the rest of the Mainland. He gained first-hand experience of the variety of terrain, environments, and fencing styles New Zealand has to offer.

“Fencing is a good business to be in.” Article supplied by: Jake and his partner Chelsea George are now in the Te Anau Basin, having relocated near the end of 2021 while still in the sting of Covid restrictions. Access to the great outdoors, hunting, and the good nature of Southland people were big parts of what drew them in. Jake started JB Fencing in August 2021.

“It is probably my favourite tool – I rate them. I’d used the ST400i a lot during several contracts around the country. I love the speed and reliability. By the time I can staple off two posts with a hammer, using the ST400i I would have already done four and it doesn’t bash up insulators like a hammer will. It will shoot straight. It’s simple and there’s no mucking around.”

“Greg is a very successful fencer himself. His confidence in my abilities helped me take the leap. I can call him up for advice which has been invaluable. Reaching out and getting to know local farmers and fencing contractors has also been really key to managing these early days of the business. Presently, I’m subcontracting as part of a crew on a big predator fencing project with waratahs and six-foot netting.”

“Also, it’s so easy to use, when you have new staff, you can send them away with the ST400i and you know that the tool will do the job correctly.” Still, moving into a new business was not without trepidation. Jake had moved to a new region, bought large ticket items including a tractor and post driver, and began building up a client base from zero.

“ When I started fencing, I knew the basics. Then, as I moved around the country, I saw that many fencing contractors had their own ways of doing things

PeopleOur 55WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

“The reward of starting my own business by far outweighs the risk. For me, it’s the reward of meeting new people, being my own boss and forging my own path, and I’m always still learning. There’s flexibility of working on your own or as part of a crew. I love doing a good job, seeing the finished product, and seeing people happy with my work. My hope is to build the business and take on staff — and I’d like to get some big station project work.”

“As a business, I focus on rural fencing and stock yards. I don’t expect to be the biggest fencing contractor in the region, but I want my reputation as a fencer to be built on the quality of my work, efficiency, and reliability.”

As part of the new business set up, Jake purchased a Stockade ST400i cordless power stapler.

Greg, Jake’s very first employer, encouraged him to go out on his own.

56 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

“Ange! Wake Up!” Shaun said to me in a loudish voice. “Don’t panic but….” Words that are guaranteed to make anyone panic.

“…Riv’s had an accident in the tractor, it’ll be written off, another car rammed straight into the back of him, he’s okay but I’m leaving now to go to the scene.” I jumped out of bed, noticing it was 6.40am. I went to follow him down the hall but he was gone. I made a cup of tea desperately waiting for a call for more information. My mind tuning in with Riv. Is he really ok? What does he need? What can I do? A cup of tea. He needs a cup of tea. I made two travel mugs of gumboot tea, white with sugar, one for Riv and one for Shaun, jumped in the car and headed to the accident site on the toll road highway. Driving gave me time to reflect. This feeling of deep worry was not for our beloved tractor, or for the lack of income about to ensue from this accident, or about the paperwork involved in the aftermath. The worry was for Riv. He’s like family now. We know his wife and family well, have been to his house, we attended his Dad’s funeral, and took a pie when his daughter had knee surgery. We know him not just as an employee but as a mate, which is a part of our Davies Fencing culture – matemanship (a word I made up but accurately reflects what we have created here.)

As I pulled up to the scene on a long stretch of straight road, my eyes went to a fire truck then an ambulance, another fire truck, Shaun’s Ute and then holy f*ck the tractor, on its side, with no front axle,

A Wife’s Tale

A simple thing, yet such a huge show of support and again, another chance for Riv to talk. Matemanship.

Later that night we got a message in our group chat from Riv, thanking Shaun and I, saying he loved working for us and in fact that he loved all of us, and that it wasn’t a knock to his head, he was just genuinely grateful to be alive.

I personally received a message from his wife thanking us too.

I felt the instinctual need to bring nurturing and kindness in times of crisis.

Angelena Davies is a wife and mum who happens to have a Masters degree in Social Sciences. Alongside running Davies Fencing she is also a coach, facilitator and author helping children and adults to access “flow” so their lives are easier and more fun. “ It was then that I panicked because I couldn’t quite believe that he could have been okay after being in an accident this severe cab smashed to bits, debris all over the road, including Riv’s apple and banana that he had packed for lunch. Riv. Where’s Riv? It was then that I panicked because I couldn’t quite believe that he could have been okay after being in an accident this severe. Found Riv and wrapped my arms around him tight. “I’m so glad you’re ok” I repeated a few times as I held his somewhat shaky frame. He skulled his tea and thanked me for coming. We stood there on the side of the motorway for another hour, waiting for the Police and Ambos and tow trucks to do their thing. A St John medic came up to us, saw me standing with Riv and spoke to me “Hedirectly.needs to be continually monitored for pain and anything unusual. I’m guessing he’s your other half?” she added questioningly. “Ahhh, no actually my other half is there,” pointing at Shaun, “but Riv is one of the guys who works for us.” I wondered if she could sense that Riv was not “just” an employee, but more like family. “Well, he needs to go and buy a lotto ticket” she declared.

As Shaun and I devoured eggs bene, Riv had an opportunity to verbalise the accident, going over it and getting his story out. Talking is so beneficial because it helps to process what has happened, which relieves the stress on the brain. Allowing time for this, and not just “getting on with it” was a high priority for me.

Valuing our guys’ wellbeing is equally as important as other factors of running our business. While it might seem small in insignificant (a cup of tea, a suggestion of food, a chance to talk) we shouldn’t underestimate the contribution it can be to someone’s life.

Angelena Davies

As a woman and wife of the business

I watched her walk over to the other driver, the one at fault, also a tradie who miraculously was also okay despite his car being written off. His boss had turned up too but instead of a cuppa and a shoulder of support, he was straight into unloading materials out of the wrecked van and loading them into his, probably so work could continue that day. Priorities.

As if hearing my thoughts, Shaun says “What’s the plan? Shall I ask if Riv wants to go back to work? He might be the type of guys who gets over things that way.” I cringed because he was probably right in so many wrong ways.

Guys who carry on as if nothing has happened, push their trauma and feelings aside. Guys who build up their problems until one day it’s all too much – too heavy to “No,carry.let’s take him out for breakfast” I suggested.

Some of the guys went round to his house later that day to see how he was.

PeopleOur 57WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022

So here I am on a Saturday afternoon, it’s not raining and the list is growing. We have been going through a rebrand. Not an easy thing to do and very costly. Because of all the days off this winter and how much cash we have already invested in the rebrand, I have decided to build the website myself. It’s taken the whole morning just to figure out how to insert a theme. And I still haven’t decided which one. There is far too much choice. One thing I have learnt about fencing and clients is they hate too much choice. As the saying goes, ‘keep it simple stupid’… So back to the distractions, the “Distraction” is like a living thing, a monster if you will. Green eyed? I’m not sure. Usually, it manifests itself under a cloak of invisibility, so I don’t get to see it. But I know it’s there. Like a feeling from the lower bowels of the gut. I took a break from the office chains for an early lunch, leftovers from last night’s dinner, mince and lasagne and I gazed around the kitchen as I waited for the microwave to do its thing. We have an old church, built in the late 1800’s. Having spent a huge amount of cash and time, we have worked on rebuilding it into a somewhat non-draughty and non-leaky home. The kitchen is at one end and leads into the laundry then on to the back door. That end is still original. Windows leak, unpainted patchwork of jib on the walls, the kitchen I bought second hand, bastardised it and sat it in place, sort of, around 12 years ago and there it remains. The laundry is in a similar state with the addition of a soft floor. When we have visitors, the washing basket gets put on the soft bit, so no one goes through the floor. I built a deck around the side a while ago now and put an insert in for a spa with the idea of building a room around it. We have yet to get the spa...

Shane on Distractions and all that stuff

the Wire Shane Beets Co-owns (newly branded) A1FenceworX, and builds fences in Northland

I occasionally get called things I’m not going to repeat because apparently our clients get far superior fences than we have, so why can’t I do the same here? I put it down to the mighty “Distraction monster”. I’ve been told that if we work through a list, the “Distraction monster” will go away. Problem is, if I cross something off the list, someone adds another two things to it. Then I look at the new things and the monster comes back. You would think that as you did lots of stuff when you were younger, as you got older, there would be less to do, the list would shrink. Not so. As I sit here writing this and trying hard to suppress the “Distractions”, another one comes to mind. Wouldn’t it be really cool, if we could rearrange all the things flying around in our heads into an orderly format, like a file manager on a computer. Think I would have quite a few folders... So, as I’m sitting here mulling over how to finish such a weird article, I’m once again distracted, the sun is shining, finally, and the wind has dropped and the poor under-used boat is still sitting on its trailer, unused… But I have the website to get on with, it won’t build itself. So be gone with you, Distraction Monster. Straight posts and tight wires. Shane Once again, I’m late putting this in. Angelina has been reminding me far too many times lately about getting it done. It’s not that I dislike writing, its more about the distractions. You would think that given the significant number of rain days this winter, I would have all the time in the world but there seems to be more than ever to do.

58 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

59WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ offers a range of benefits and services to members in the fencing industry, whether you are looking for individual membership or a place for your company to prosper and grow. Becoming a member means you are supporting the industry and helping lift the profile of fencing as a recognised profession. BENEFITS OF BEING A MEMBER INCLUDE: • Your company name on the Find a Fencing Contractor section on the website • Four free issues of WIRED per year • Members receive Group membership with New Zealand Federated Farmers • Opportunity to network and communicate with like-minded people in the industry • Access to NZQA qualifications National Certificate in Fencing • Regional Best Practice Days • Access to online professional development webinars • Support from industry providers • Heavily subsidised Annual Conference • Trade Association of Site Safe giving a 10% discount Join online at fcanz.org.nz/join-fcanz APPLICANT DETAILS Name of person or company ______________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Business Address ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone No _____________________________________ Email ____________________________________________ Date Business Established _________________________ Number of Directors _______________________________ Annual Subscriptions Fencing WIREDEmployeeContractorSubonly Fencing Category WebsiteMobilePostcodeIndustrialResidentialRural_________________________________________________No____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Number of Staff ____________________________________________ Age of Directors (for statistical purposes) _____________________ How did you hear about us? Pricing $195.65 +GST $70.00 +GST $70.00 +GST Membership Form We will invoice you electronically on receipt of this completed form. Please send to PO Box 3232, Greerton, 3142 or email to admin@fcanz.org.nz

CPC Fencing Ltd e.m.t.Phil(Northland)Cornelius0943326440272744188cpc.fencing@yahoo.co.nz

Grant Macdonald Fencing Service e.m.t.Grant(Tauranga)Macdonald0754334860274942251grantmacdonald@mclarenfalls.co.nz

Barakat Contractors Ltd (Te w.e.m.t.DaleKauwhata)&CarlBarakat0782644610274735513dale@barakatcontractors.co.nzbarakatcontractors.co.nz

A1FenceworX

Fencetec 2015 Ltd (Te Anau / Northern Southland) Steve Daley m. 027 2497852 e. stephendaley03@gmail.com

Ground Up Services Ltd

Custom Fencing Ltd e.m.t.Nick(Waikouaiti)Terry034657212021614100nickterryfencing@xtra.co.nz

Ben Haugh Fencing

e.m.t.Ben(Geraldine)Haugh036938088021523291info@bhfencing.nz

Golden Bay Fencing e.m.David(Takaka)Jacobson0272667335fourjake1@gmail.com

Ground Up Solutions (New w.e.m.t.ClaytonPlymouth)&SueHorton067582217021710712info@groundupsolutions.co.nzgroundupsolutions.co.nz

FCANZ Certified Fencers

Central Fencing w.e.t.Nigel(Canterbury)Broadbridge021433623nigel@centralfencing.co.nzcentralfencing.co.nz

Meersbrooke Fencing (Palmerston North) Alan Rennie m. 027 450 6420 e. meersbrooke@hotmail.com

Higgins Fencing Contractors (Wakefield) Philip Higgins t. 03 541 9292 m. 021 222 5033 e. info@higginsfencing.co.nz w. higginsfencing.co.nz High Country Fencing Ltd Geoff(Darfield)Rogers t. 03 317 8028 m. 021 640 748 e. info@highcountryfencing.co.nz w. highcountryfencing.co.nz

w.e.m.t.Todd(Morrinsville)Sherburd0788755490274927337todd@fsw.co.nzfsw.co.nz

Ewing Fencing Contractors

e.m.t.Shane(Wellsford)Beets0942375850276255383admin@a1fenceworx.co.nz

Fensin Neil & Raymond Roberston (Taupō) Neil & Raymond Robertson t. 07 825 5747 m. 027 474 6335 e. robertson.nd@xtra.co.nz

Landwork Solutions (Ōtaki) Brad Joines m. 0274955693 e. office@landworksolutions.co.nz

Fencing Solutions Waikato

Greg Burton Fencing e.m.t.Greg(Cambridge)Burton0782787650274278765mazgreg@xtra.co.nz

e.m.t.Mark(Oamaru)Ewing0343138640274984049mark@ewingfencing.co.nz

Noksee Fencing e.m.t.John(Motueka)Noakes0352863880274464413noakesjc@gmail.com

Jeff Joines Fencing Contractor Ltd Jeff(Kāpiti)Joines t. 06 364 2510 m. 027 484 4481 w. jeffjoinesfencing@gmail.com

e.m.Darryn(Tauranga)Astill0275869227darryn@groundupservices.co.nz

John Baldock Fencing Ltd w.e.m.t.John(Katikati)Baldock0755207630211764719john@johnbaldockfencing.co.nzjohnbaldockfencing.co.nz Lake Contracting t.Ken(Omakau)Lake03447 4031 m. 027 224 0302 e. kenthomaslake@icloud.com

60 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE

Grant Scott Fencing Ltd (Te e.t.GrantAwamutu)Scott078706541g.scottfencing@gmail.com

e.m.t.Steve(Timaru)Williamson0368647790274553385shwilliamson@actrix.co.nz

Mike(Seddon)&Brad Renner t. 03 577 6615 m. 021 416 798 e. rennerfencing@hotmail.com w. rennerfencing.co.nz Samuel Fencing Ltd

e.m.t.Josh(Edgecumbe)Phillips0730484430275873551phillipscontracting@xtra.co.nz

Steve Locke Fencing Ltd

Grant(Tapanui)&Wendy Harris t. 03 204 8285 m. 0272 866 576 e. harris29@xtra.co.nz White Fencing Ltd w.e.m.t.Tony(Papakura)White0929280640274957868admin@whitefencing.co.nzwhitefencing.co.nz Wilson Fencing (Havelock North) Brendon Wilson t. 06 877 9844 m. 027 657 4588 e. b.m.wilson@xtra.co.nz

61WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ.ORG.NZ ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 ANNUAL INCLUDESMEMBERSHIPWIREDSUBSCRIPTION: General Member $195.65 +GST Employee Member $70.00 +GST WIRED Only $70.00 +GST If you are interested in joining you can either email Jeanette at admin@fcanz.org.nz or visit our website fcanz.org.nz 0508 4 32269 | PO Box 3232, Greerton, 3142 Phillips Contracting 2016 Ltd

Steve Williamson Fencing

w.e.m.t.Steve(Blenheim)Locke035781927021371971steve@stevelockefencing.co.nzstevelockefencing.co.nz

e.m.t.Mike(Alexandra)Samuel03448694902752454090mikesamuel@xtra.co.nz

Tight Wire Fencing Ltd (Taupō) Rex Graham t. 07 378 5572 m. 027 318 8665 e. tightwirefencing@xtra.co.nz West Otago Fencing Ltd

Affiliates, Trusts and Training Institutes

Renner Contracting Ltd

62 ISSUE 66 / SEPTEMBER 2022 FCANZ.ORG.NZ WIRED MAGAZINE FCANZ Board FCANZ Operations Team JEANETTE MILLER Administration Manager t. 0508 432 269 m. 027 432 2033 e: admin@fcanz.org.nz PHIL CORNELIUS (PRESIDENT) m. 027 274 4188 e. phil@fcanz.org.nz MAX WALTON m. 027 240 1100 e. max@fcanz.org.nz JANINE SWANSSON e. janine@fcanz.org.nz DONNA UPTON m. 021 761 022 e. donna@fcanz.org.nz DEBBIE WHITE (VICE-PRESIDENT) m. 027 495 7033 e. debbie@fcanz.org.nz JAIME BIGWOOD Communications and Marketing Manager m. 022 317 7118 e: communications@fcanz.org.nz SHANE BEETS (TREASURER) m. 027 625 5383 e. shane@fcanz.org.nz HEATHER KAWAN WIRED Editor m: 022 630 8533 e: wired@fcanz.org.nz

DON’T TOCOMEORSUCCESSLETFAILUREDOWNTHEWIRE. Only fencing wire that carries the WIREMARK guarantee is 100% made and tested in New Zealand for this country’s harsh farming conditions. So make sure you ask for WIREMARK, the fencing wire that’s as tough and wiry as a local fencer. To find out more, visit wiremark.co.nz, call 0800 7227 8335 or email info@pacificsteel.co.nz MADE TOUGH AND WIRY IN NEW ZEALAND

Timber & Hardware Canterbur Cy T H

WIRED September 2022

Articles inside

Variety is the spice of life

Shane on the Wire

A Wife’s Tale

A fenceline with a view

5 tips for smooth sailing through client communication

Safety and PPE

How to: Retaining walls

Conference 2022: How to lose 15 students in a single day

Conference 2022: Fencers have a Field Day in Dunedin

Conference 2022: Keys to a healthy mindset

Conference 2022: How can I work smarter not harder in my business?!

Conference 2022 Report

Wayne’s Way: Hanging a gate

Delivering automation to entranceways

The process of designing, sizing and installing stockyards and gates

Product launches and 50th anniversary – it’s all go at Bayonet

Fencing and gate automation – working together

The challenges of architecturally specified gates

The President’s Report

Jenny’s engineered to boost efficiency on the fenceline

Gallagher harnesses data to navigate global challenges and deliver for customers

Steel & Tube’s Hurricane rural products brand turns 90

The Board Blog