WIRED December 2021 by fencingcontractorsnz

WIRED ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Publication of the Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand

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In this issue

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

FCNZ News 5

The President’s Report

The Board Blog

Industry & Innovation 9

Managing stock when disaster strikes

FENCEQUIP’s year in review: What a year it has been!

Pool fencing installation

Forks like no other

When traditional fencing meets modern diversity

18 37

Feature: Diversity in fencing

Construction by numbers

Strainers and stays by the thousands

32 35 37 38

Adapting key to creating a diversified fencing business

A Custom-ised business Equestrian specialties

Branching out into glamping Fencing on Civil sites

Training & Events 41

Course disruption postpones fencing qualifications

Upcoming Fencing Competitions

Business, Safety & Environment 42

Four mindsets that separate successful business owners from the rest

Five essentials of a robust mental health plan for your business

‘Tis the Season to act safely

How to prepare for Christmas

Our People 50

Rock solid job at Simons Pass Station

A Wife’s Tale

Shane on the Wire

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 Fencing Contractors NZ. WIRED welcomes contributions but reserves the right to edit.

WIRED MAGAZINE

Editor: Heather Kawan heather@fencingcontractors.co.nz 027 432 2033

Advertising & Subscriptions: Jeanette Miller admin@fencingcontractors.co.nz 021 767 759

Graphic Design: dkdesignstudio.nz 027 405 7646

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

AS KIWI AS IT GETS

Now more than ever, rely on New Zealand owned brands like Fletcher Wire to deliver what you need to get the job done. We bring together experience and reputation with a focus on our kiwi ingenuity and can-do attitude. After all, you’ve trusted us for generations and you demand products that perform. Get the job done right. Choose fletcherwire.co.nz

President's Report I am so thankful we got to have the FCNZ Conference, as now all we see are notices of cancellation on every event in the rural and summer calendar.

happening around the country and the globe. Uncertainty seems to be the new normal. I guess we can take away some learnings from this – the situation is making us thankful for what we do have to come home to each night. As Wiggy says, in these trying and uncertain times “Lean on a Gate and talk to a mate”.

This is really tough for everyone. My thoughts go out to those having to make these decisions, even though they are largely being made for them. People are finding themselves somewhat floundering in the unknown of what’s

It’s definitely Spring in Northland and we have had some very wet weather lately, as have many other regions around the country. Sending crews into jobs that you think will be dry and turn out wet, causes headaches with rearranging work and materials. Jobs you think you can have a tractor on end up being hand work and tougher than expected. This all adds to the continued excitement of the job keeping many on their toes and giving others sleepless nights. The lockdowns and Alert Levels with COVID have meant the NorthTec fencing courses have been postponed till beginning of 2022. These ‘fees free’ courses continue into next year and NorthTec have more courses and new tutors coming on board around the country to help facilitate the demand in these courses, so if you are looking to sign up, please do so.

Phil Cornelius

The FCNZ Board have been having zoom meetings behind the scenes as we are unable to have in-person meetings. These

are very challenging, however, we are managing to iron out a lot in the time we do have online, as can be seen in the Board Blog. If you have anything on your mind or have a particular question, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone to any of the Board members. We are always happy to have a yarn. We welcomed Jaime Bigwood to the FCNZ Operations team at the end of October as our Communications and Marketing Manager. We look forward to working with Jaime to raise the profile of FCNZ across the country.

FCNZ News

Welcome to the latest edition of WIRED magazine.

I’d like to take this opportunity in our final WIRED magazine of 2021, to thank our Partners/Sponsors, the ongoing support is appreciated across the industry. Keeping the FCNZ membership up to date with the good the bad and the ugly in supply and production really helps to be able to keep ahead of the game for our members and their businesses. Members having the ongoing contact and relationships with you enables better more informed decisions, enabling them to be proactive in their businesses in a climate everyone is very reactive in. The support to the industry is well received. I hope you all have some good times this Summer festive season with family and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year... Fingers and toes crossed anyway. Phil

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

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

DON’T LET SUCCESS OR FAILURE COME DOWN TO THE WIRE.

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

The Board Blog

FCNZ News

While we were very lucky to have the FCNZ 2021 conference done and dusted prior to the August Level 4 lockdown and the continuously changing alert levels, other events have not been so lucky.

The Board have been meeting regularly

via videoconference – while one should

be grateful about technology it certainly makes the task of communication somewhat awkward.

With this in mind we are having to review

our February 2022 Best Practice Days and the opportunity to get together, so we are looking at a monthly series of business

orientated webinars for FCNZ members.

We are looking into such topics as Quoting/Estimates, Terms and Conditions, Insurances, Employment Law, all the important stuff for small business owners. Without a crystal ball we also have to consider our 2022 calendar including our Conference and contingency plans are being looked at. Our new Communications and Marketing Manager Jaime has been handed a

marketing outline in order to help assist

with background Association and industry information. From this a marketing plan will be formulated to help with industry profile and delivery of benefits for our

Certified Fencers, Members and Partners. We’d like to wish all FCNZ Members and Partners a very Merry Christmas and a

prosperous New Year. We look forward to seeing you all in 2022.

Welcome to Jaime Bigwood Jaime Bigwood joined FCNZ as our Communications and Marketing Manager in October. This role has been created to raise the profile of FCNZ with fencing contractors, the wider NZ fencing industry and to central and local Government, Environmental Agencies and local Iwi, and to enhance the engagement of all stakeholders including members, corporate partners and affiliates. As a marketing and communications generalist with excellent breadth of business experience, Jaime brings to FCNZ a superb toolkit of skills and learnings which we look forward to utilising to move the Association forward during this period of growth.

Conference 2022

SAVE THE DATE 2-5 August 2022, Dunedin

Dunedin Railway Station

WIRED MAGAZINE

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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Managing stock when disaster strikes “ Mid-Canterbury farmer Chris Allen has just trucked 12,000 tonnes of sediment out of his irrigation pond. Five-months-on from Canterbury’s devastating ‘one in 200-year’ floods he continues the clean-up process. Chris was one of a number of Canterbury farmers affected between May 29 and 31 this year when the deluge flooded farmland, shifting the course of braided rivers and ripping across farms. In a 48-hour period more than 560mm of rain was recorded on Mt Somers flowing down the hills and gathering steam. Another 290mm was recorded near Chris’ farm, which he owns with wife Ann-Marie. The 360-hectare block carries around 1,500 lambing ewes and 600 head of beef cattle including R1s and R2s. They also do winter grazing and had around 3,000 store lambs when the floods came. “It was a beautiful time of year we were just starting to put cattle onto winter crops and things were cruising along quite nicely,” says Chris, who is also on the Board of Federated Farmers and is the organisation’s water spokesperson. Within hours of the downpour the water hit his irrigation pond, which covers 6.5 hectares of his farm. It flowed on down drastically affecting his winter crops of kale and fodder beet, destroying many of his grass paddocks and ripping out fences. Cattle and sheep were left standing high and dry on the spots of his farm where the water couldn’t reach. As the floods receded, Chris says most of his boundary fences on the farm were gone. “We lost 22 fences, so we had to figure out how to get animals back under control and keep them safe,” says Chris. “The boundary fences were gone. Without boundaries to contain our stock when the water started to recede, the cattle started to go walkabout. “It was an incredibly stressful time. We had to start prioritising what to do and how to do it.” WIRED MAGAZINE

Sheep and beef farmer Chris Allen continues the clean-up and repair process five months after Canterbury’s devastating floods

Using two M10,000i Gallagher fence energizers, Chris was able to shut off power to the fences that had been destroyed and restore temporary hotwires to keep the stock contained. Where fences were intact, he progressively powered them back up again.

He estimates there are only five more fences to repair on the farm. Chris is grateful to all the volunteers, from the Student Army to the Canterbury Tramping Club, who came and helped clear fences of sediment and debris and sift through the remains to reinstate what they could.

“Over time we started reinstating the fences with the help of the local Lions Club and with what infrastructure we could get going we continued strip grazing.”

The farm is now back to about 90 percent of its production.

Chris says it was critically important to efficiently use what feed they still had available. Chris is full of praise for Gallagher’s Canterbury Territory Manager Mark Maitland, who helped him with new reels, advice, and support. “It has been an awful wet winter. Having confidence about managing our stock and knowing they will stay put removed a whole dimension of stress for us, especially when we were already worried about their access to clean water and dealing with the general clean up,” says Chris. The floods also took out the farm’s main water line too. “Our focus was making sure stock had fresh water, that we had electricity to contain them and that they stayed in the best areas of the paddocks. It was a case of working through those steps,” says Chris.

Industry & Innovation

Our focus was making sure stock had fresh water, that we had electricity to contain them and that they stayed in the best areas of the paddocks

Chris has replanted 20 hectares in fodder beet and kale and returned 15 hectares back into grass. The sediment from the pond is currently being spread across 5 hectares, which will be rotated into winter crops. Around another 20 hectares will also go into winter feed and will included in the annual pasture renewal programme. The other paddocks he says they are just living with. Friends, family, volunteers, and a positive outlook are what has got Chris and AnnMarie through, who constantly remind themselves that there is always someone worse off. “I guess you have to think about what you can do today that will make tomorrow a little bit easier and keep doing that each day,” says Chris. “That’s what we have done and that’s what has got us through.” Article supplied by:

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

AROUND WORLD W AROUNDTHE THE WORL

OUND Every year Greg Tapscott leaves home in South Australia to spend months Every rebuilding after leaves yearfencelines Greg Tapscott devastating bush fires.

Landscape artist Ross Lewis captures the art of fencing and a classic New Ross Lewis captures Zealand fencingLandscape vista at theartist New Zealand National Fieldays. the art of fencing and a classic New

Zealand fencing vista at the New Zealand National Fieldays.

home in South Australia to spend months rebuilding fencelines after devastating bush fires.

A warm welcome to the Series II ST400i - the same speed, power and reliability, with a new filter and belt hook design.

Alan Fenwick from South West Victoria, Australia, jumping over swampy land and rocky terrain stapling up wire anywhere he can with the cordless ST400i.

Great to see the ST400i in action at the Silver Spades Competition with Murray Graham at the New Zealand National Fieldays.

Ryan USA s essen from Nick Terry battling the salt and the sea fog in Orokonui Valley, Otago, New Zealand.

Great to see the ST400i in action at the Silver Spades Competition with Murray Graham at the New Zealand National Fieldays.

Nick Terry battling the salt and the sea fog in Orokonui Valley, Otago, New Zealand.

D WITH STOCKADE LD WITH STOCKADE

D THE Kyle Stender from Western New York Kyle Stender from Western New York competing at the ‘Shoot Out’ - premier competing theFence ‘Shoot Out’ - premier fencing competition during theatFall Forum in Indiana.fencing competition during the Fall Fence

Forum in Indiana.

The Slaybaugh family from Mt Ridge Farm, Pennsylvania USAThe areSlaybaugh family installing high density trellis from Mt Ridge Farm, systems for next generation Pennsylvania USA are robotic apple harvesting.

installing high density trellis systems for next generation robotic apple harvesting.

Jessica Woodcock building fence in Virginia USA to save the bees with the USDA conservation reserve pollinator initiative.

Ryan Sloop from North Carolina USA started a trend “protecting the essentials” in his Stoney Creek shorts from New Zealand.

Lisa Jenereaux from Spurr Bros Farms is flying down the rows in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Ryan Sloop from North Carolina USA started a trend “protecting the essentials” in his Stoney Creek shorts from New Zealand.

Lisa Jenereaux from Spurr Bros Farms is flying down the rows in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada.

FENCEQUIP’s year in review: What a year it has been! KT55 TRACKED TRACTOR

COVID

Living and working on Auckland’s outskirts saw us first not working and then working at a limited capacity in Level 4. Level 3 saw us back at full capacity but having to deal with supplier backlogs. Lets hope we are back to normal for the Agricultural shows in February/March 2022.

It was a huge effort from our team to get our first Tracked Tractor the National Fieldays in June.

It has a 55hp Turbo Kubota Motor,

high pressure hydraulic pump, remote

control and is front end loader and blade compatible.

“

Having a machine that can lay out material, as well as thump posts, whilst only walking the line once, is the ultimate goal for a specific fencing machine

PERSONAL

Kiwi Track KT55 getting its Pearson Loader mounted

October saw our daughter turn one and she is definitely keeping us on our toes. Since having her we (like all small business owners) are trying to find a good work/life balance. Hopefully we will figure this out soon.

HARDOX AUGERS

Kiwi Track KT55 debut at Fieldays 2021

Due to trying to keep up with Post Driver/Auger orders, as I am writing this (October) we are only just mounting the Pearson loader onto it and we are on track for it to be off to its new home before the end of the year.

The UK Fencing Contractors can’t get enough of our FENCEQUIP and Rock Monster HARDOX Augers and we are now regularly sending them over to Marc Preston at BUSHPIG Equipment who is our distributor in the United Kingdom. Marc has lived and worked in New Zealand as a Fletcher Wire Products™ | Gallagher™ | Steel & Tube | WIREM Tractor Driver in Central Otago and now works as a fencer and fencing equipment supplier back home in Somerset. We also sent a big crate of our Rock Monster HARDOX Augers over to the USA to Luke Gibson at Farm Fence Solutions.

C T H Canterbury Timber & Hardware Troy Knudsen with daughter Tyla

We designed and built this to be competitive in several different areas. One being for someone who works on their own – having a machine that can lay out material, as well as thump posts, whilst only walking the line once, is the ultimate goal for a specific fencing machine. We have achieved this with the KT55 by carrying materials on the front-end loader, you can unload your posts, reach for the remote on your belt and drive the machine forward bringing the Post Driver to you. Watch this space for more information and photos once it is completed.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

We would like to thank all of our customers new and old for your continuous support in 2021 and beyond and we hope you enjoy your well-earned time off over the holiday season. Troy Knudsen Article supplied by:

Rock Monster HARDOX Augers off to the USA

WIRED MAGAZINE

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ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

WIRED MAGAZINE

Industry & Innovation

Pool fencing installation Rules around pool fencing are there to keep small children safe and away from water where they can drown if left unattended.

Many of the rules in New Zealand refer

to children under the age of 6, however all pools need approved fencing and

gates, regardless of children residing at the property.

It is essential that pool fencing installations are installed by an established fencing

company who have a good understanding of the relevant council rules and won’t cut corners in terms of installing the correct products in a secure manner.

RECOMMENDED HARDWARE

You are as strong as your weakest link, which in this case could be the hinges

How important is checking your hardware regularly and how often would you suggest a maintenance check? Maintenance on any product around a pool is essential. Checking your D&D hardware around your pool every 6 months is a good way to ensure compliancy to pool regulations. Ensuring your self-closing hinges are still working correctly and your Magna-Latch is locking securely is a very important aspect. These items can be easily adjusted, keeping the younger family members safe.

and latches you use on your pool

When the safety of children is involved, would you recommend D&D hardware?

Technologies hardware range for all pool

D&D is the only product we would recommend around pool safety

We asked Apex Fencing, based in

Is there a feature that you think is Fletcher Wire Products™ particularly good?

fencing. Edgesmith recommend the D&D and other installs

Silverdale, Auckland what they thought

of the D&D hardware range. Apex Fencing

other installs.

D&D has a great range of locking mechanisms that are useable around your property. We especially like the LokkLatch Deluxe, which gives you the Canterbury Timber & Hardware security of locking your pedestrian gate, with easy access from both sides.

Why do you use D&D hardware?

Would you recommend D&D hardware?

have years of experience installing all

types of pool fencing, and are insistent on using the D&D Technologies range of gate hardware on all their pool and

Apex uses D&D hardware due to the reliability of the product and ease of installing.

WIRED MAGAZINE

C TH

| Gallagher™ | Steel & Tube | WIREMARK®

Article supplied by:

A definite yes, a great range that will help you solve any issues around gate hardware. ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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0800 800 947 steelandtube.co.nz

EQUIPMENT

Forks like no other When you’re out fencing a great set of forks is a massive advantage, giving you versatility and safety. Here at Kyne Equipment we have a developed our range of forks from the feedback of many fencers out there doing it. Matt from Two Boys Fencing of Banks Penisula is a proud owner of a set of the Kyne Grab Forks. This is what he has to say about them. “They are very well built and super strong, the tooth style blade is very handy and the grab is a good shape for holding whole bundles of posts and even just one post. I would highly recommend them.”

The top benefits from Kyne Forks are – Visibility, Strength, a Tooth-style Blade, a Chain Hook and the Grab. Great visibility makes it easy to see from your tractor to the load that you are carrying, so you know exactly what is happening. An essential safety feature and a must have!

100% NZ Made, all of our products are manufactured to a high level of strength and durability, with a heavy duty build, giving you can peace of mind. All models of our forks have a Hook on the back of them, so you can do snig chain work without the need of a dee shackle.

Industry & Innovation

We love to hear that the specific features that we have designed to suit the fencing industry are doing the talking and a big thanks to Matt for sharing his thoughts. For any fencing in Little River, Canterbury, Two Boys Fencing are great to work with!

“

Great visibility makes it easy to see from your tractor to the load that you are carrying, so you know exactly what is happening. An essential safety feature and a must have!

Two Boys Fencing, with a load of posts in his grab forks, fencing with an epic view!

Fletcher Wire Products™ | Gallagher™ | Steel & T

One of the best features of Kyne Forks is our Blade, excellent for skimming along old fence lines to flatten them off and much more.

Our range of Kyne Grab Forks is most popular forCanterbury fencing, they have a wide Timber & Hardware range of movement, clamping to a fully closed position enabling you to clamp 1 post or less, and fully open to 1450mm so they can easily carry a bundle of posts or logs, etc. This gives you massive flexibility, meaning you can carry any load big or small!

C TH

Hop on to our website or give us a call to

find out more: www.kyneequipment.co.nz, 0800 465 963. Article supplied by:

Bang it Fencing with Kyne Grab forks with the hill spikes looking good and holding him on the fenceline

WIRED MAGAZINE

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

When traditional fencing meets modern diversity

When we think of installing a new fence line, milk bottles, coat hangers and wheelie bins don’t generally spring to mind. But that’s exactly the sort of diverse ingredients fencer and farmer Jerome Wenzlick can use to create his 100% recycled, solid plastic Future Posts. Located in a compact factory in the West Auckland town of Waiuku, these posts can now be found nationwide on sheep and beef farms, organic orchards, council parks, marinas, waterways fencing, equestrian facilities and vineyards to name just a few. An idea struck Jerome while fencing around an old landfill site, the location was causing havoc breaking timber posts as they rammed in, hitting layers of buried plastic beneath; could this huge quantity of still highly durable waste plastic be turned into something useful instead of just being dumped?

KIWI INGENUITY

Fast forward several years later, countless hours, sleepless nights and the tried and true method of Kiwi “Number 8” ingenuity resulting in Jerome and his small team eventually producing a world-first machine

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

fit for purpose to create fence posts from recycled waste plastics – or so they hoped! “Handing over the cheque to contract design and build a machine never made before was one thing, but setting it running and wondering if we would actually see a post pop out was another” recalls Jerome. It worked. That first plastic post successfully shot out of the mould, across the factory floor and nearly took out his dog in the process. It still remains on site in the head office today. The Future Post story is, quite literally, a grass roots success generated via hard work, creative thinking and trial and error, from the ground up. Experimentation and extensive testing to find the optimum ratio of different grade plastic ingredients with the necessary UV Carbon Black required to form a solid, UV stable, workable post, has seen the company now recycle thousands of tonnes of plastics otherwise destined for landfill. This start-up has enabled hundreds of other businesses around the country to improve their annual sustainability measures by offering a viable local outlet for their waste plastics, as well as including public involvement by

demanding the re-introduction of the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme in supermarkets and chain stores throughout New Zealand.

“

The Future Post story is, quite literally, a grass roots success generated via hard work, creative thinking and trial and error, from the ground up

When Jerome started out, he envisaged manufacturing a post that could potentially outlast timber – plastic doesn’t absorb moisture or rot – as well as a post that didn’t require traditional CCA treatment. “It’s horrible coming home from a day out on the fence line covered in toxic green chemicals, I think that’s a big plus. Knowing the posts will outlast me also means I don’t have to go back and do the job again”. Spoken like a true farmer whose work is never done. What Jerome hadn’t anticipated though was the interest and demand for WIRED MAGAZINE

Tauranga Wharf. Photo Phil Wardale, Wardale Ltd

Phil Wardale and his company are involved with infrastructure developments around the country and always looking for innovative products. When Phil saw the larger square Future Posts and understanding the environmental benefits from their makeup, he realised they could have excellent applications within the marine environment. As designer and Project Manager, Phil used the posts as vessel rubbing strips on the redevelopment of the Vessel Works wharf for the Tauranga City Council, and more recently as rubbing strips all along the Whakatane Town Wharf for Whakatane District Council. The posts were machine drilled to provide a recessed fastening to the wharf structures. “The ease of working with the material alongside recognition that the product is a reused and fully recycled product is great” says Phil.

Future Post products from such a wide variety of different sectors aside from everyday fencing. “The equine market was pretty quick to see benefit because they love the Equestrian Black look and horses are notoriously known post-chewers, but they don’t seem to chew them. They’ve even been used for jumps in Eventing competition. Then other uses started coming along we had never even thought of making me realise this might be more than just another fence post.” It seems innovation itself is enough to spark more creative ideas. WIRED MAGAZINE

Oyster farms are another marine industry with their own unique “fencing” requirements, now trialling the round 1.8m posts. Timber posts don’t tend to last long in these tidal structures and any splits allow insects and fungi to form around the frames which isn’t desirable.

“

Timber posts don’t tend to last long in these tidal structures and any splits allow insects and fungi to form around the frames which isn’t desirable

“

Phil Wardale and his company are involved with infrastructure developments around the country and always looking for innovative products

Industry & Innovation

Summerset Retirement Home, Palmerston North, communal garden project – Photo Andrew Ward

With modern architecture featuring clean lines and bold, contrasting colours, the striking black recycled posts have also been finding their way into many residential feature fences and landscaping uses.

CARBON ZERO Summerset are New Zealand’s first Carbon Zero retirement village operator. When their Palmerston North residents requested the addition of some communal gardens, the management team looked for construction options and decided recycled Future Posts were the obvious choice. Property Manager Andrew Ward is rapt with the results. “Not only were they very easy to work with, they also look fantastic and will stay that way for many years to come. We exceeded our residents’ expectations - they love the look and ease of use and have been happily planting them up since they have been installed.” Another major area where the plastic posts’ unique properties are beginning to prove themselves valuable is the wine growing sector where typical vineyard ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Lifestyle block feature fence, Kaukapakapa

Jerome Wenzlick at Yealands, Marlborough

Beachlands Domain bollards Photo Robert Kurz

trellis suffer a hard life of tractor knocks, heavy plant canopies and strong winds. This results in ongoing breakages of the traditionally used half and quarter rounds which then not only need replacing but are also problematic when it comes to disposal options for treated timber. While growers cut and re-home the best of the broken posts as seconds for general fencing, they’re often still left with increasing piles of unusable remains and the costly exercise of replacement.

HIGHLY DURABLE

Over the last 3 years, no vineyard around the country has broken a Future Post or even lost a clip through mechanical harvest thanks to the post’s high density and grip (likened to hardwood), causing a lot of excitement amongst growers. The small amount of flex the taller 2.4m vineyard posts exhibit means they are proving highly durable to this tough yet important task. Replacement posts and brand new developments have been installed NZ wide using both post driving and vibrating digger head methods and a clean-threaded hexhead screw will soon be available to match timber post clip attachment.

COASTLINE PROTECTION

The diversity of uses for this alternative post product doesn’t end there, with councils and road management exploring new eco-friendly, maintenance free options that also help support and promote recycling within their local communities. Citycare Property Auckland recently facilitated the use of Future Post 125mm

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

“

The diversity of waste plastic materials able to be used to make the posts is as unique as the placements the end product posts are finding themselves in

rounds in a project near the coast at the Beachlands Domain for a Bollard fence line. “These robust posts will not degrade with ocean spray” commented Project Manager Robert Kurz, “and are shown not to leach chemicals into the surrounding areas potentially causing further problems in the future.” It’s nice to know our coastlines are now being protected by waste plastics rather than being filled by them. The diversity of waste plastic materials able to be used to make the posts is as unique as the placements the end product posts are finding themselves in. Jerome is first to admit he never intended or expected to replace timber posts when he first opened the factory doors 3 years ago, but is pleased to note Future Posts are finding their footing in a range of both traditional and specialty areas. “If we can help solve a massive environmental problem while also putting these plastic posts to good use in places where they may be more suitable than timber, or just because people want to take part in doing their bit for the environment, then it’s a good start”. It will be interesting to see what other creative uses these posts, who started life as milk bottles and plastic wrap, can find in years ahead. Diana Jamieson

WIRED MAGAZINE

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FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

Construction by numbers

Barakat Contractors Limited (BCL) were approached to complete a challenging project at the beginning of 2020. The scope of the project was to construct a baseball structure at Fowlds Park, Auckland for Auckland Council. It was essential that it could be assembled and dissembled annually to coincide with seasonal sport as the area of construction is also used as a rugby field. Architectural concept drawings were provided to BCL from Auckland Council, outlining the structural requirements.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

BCL engaged JP Marshall Engineering to provide the engineer design drawings. BCL was already committed to other projects and with tight time frames BCL made the decision to outsource the steel fabrication to JP Marshall Engineering as well. Steel fabrication comprise of columns, panels and dugouts. The structure at its highest point is 6 meters with a total length of 51 meters, along with 3 meter wide x 9 meter long dugouts that sit behind the panels at each end. Design and Fabrication work took approximately four months to complete. In August, the galvanised steel frame arrived at BCL yard ready to be clad

with chainlink netting. Timber seating was fixed inside the dugout frames. In October 2020 our team arrived on site to complete the initial installation. Six truckloads of materials were delivered to site. Using our 6-tonne excavator, Bryce

“

The structure at its highest point is 6 metres with a total length of 51 metres, along with 3 metre wide x 9 metre long dugouts that sit behind the panels at each end

WIRED MAGAZINE

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

Using our 6-tonne excavator, Bryce our experienced operator was tasked with managing the installation

“

Each piece of the frame is identified using a letter/numeric system – a construction by numbers and is fixed to a subsurface concrete plinth

Each piece of the frame is identified using a letter/numeric system – a construction by numbers and is fixed to a subsurface concrete plinth – 18 in total - the largest plinth being 544mm by 420mm. These plinths are covered with turf after installation so not exposed to players during use. Whilst a great achievement for BCL and its team this was not without its challenges. Due to the height of the structure, it was not an easy undertaking. BCL didn’t think we would be using our recently purchased 6-tonne excavator to install a baseball structure. Other challenging aspects was the coordination and planning of all parties involved to ensure a well planned construction. Along with ensuring the safety of all involved, staff and public. During construction BCL didn’t think we would be returning to dissemble and assemble the baseball structure again, but we are! This gave BCL the opportunity to make improvements from lessons learnt during the initial construction mainly with machinery. BCL has changed from a scissor lift to an all-terrain boom lift. We are now using a telehandler which enables the lifting of both the framing and dugouts for seasonal storage e.g., dugouts are stored at Fowlds Park and all Columns and Panels are stored at AIM Services’ Henderson Depot. Rubber turf mats have replaced plywood to further

Industry & Innovation

“

our experienced operator was tasked with managing the installation. Due to the turf (artificial grass under pitch grass), extreme care was crucial. During the initial installation plywood was used to limit damage from machine movement on the turf.

minimise potential damage of the turf. BCL’s digger returns twice a year as the best piece of equipment for lifting and holding the steel columns in place when fixing to the inground concrete plinths. BCL is extremely proud of the work completed, a fantastic effort and collaboration from our team and our client AIM Services.

Article supplied by:

www.barakatcontractors.co.nz

WIRED MAGAZINE

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

Adapting key to creating a diversified fencing business

Phil Cornelius established CPC Contracting 20 odd years ago as a one-man band, fencing throughout Northland in the many challenging environments that the north has to offer. Phil was certified in 2009 and is the only Certified Fencer in Northland at present. Donna Upton comes from a rural banking background having worked for the largest Agribusiness Bank in the world, she draws on experience she has picked up from some great people along the way. Together, they own and operate CPC Fencing Limited. “I met Donna in 2011. We rebranded the company to CPC Fencing Limited in 2013 and started Mid North Fencing Limited in 2019,” says Phil. “The second company was set up to complete the Auckland Motorway extension project Puhoi to Warkworth. This project is very large scale with in excess of 90kms of conventional fencing being completed. Two of our crews are currently 16 months into the project, looking to ramp up in the spring and summer season.” Both Phil and Donna are on the Board of Fencing Contractors NZ (‘FCNZ’), the

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

industry body for Fencing Contractors, with Phil the President of the Board. Donna has recently taken on the NorthTec Course Coordinator role for the current NZ Certificate in Fencing Level 3 and national roll out of Level 4.

phone calls from Nick and Gordy from Northland Forest Managers Limited saw CPC suddenly emersed in Forestry fencing. Phil keeps in contact with the Forestry companies on a weekly basis to make sure everything is aligned.

BUSINESS GROWTH

“Currently we service three of the Forestry companies throughout Northland and enjoy working with the Managers - the crews love working outdoors and in beautiful areas that you don’t often get to see, off the beaten track” says Phil.

Since 2011 CPC Fencing has grown considerably and now has 18 staff, making up five fencing crews. The business offers late model utes for staff, and features five tractors, UTVs for the lines, two full forestry spec’d excavators, a large transport fifth wheel trailer and a transport truck. “We have a great crew of staff and subbies to call on. The crews love what they do, particularly the forestry crews, including the challenges and they have a tonne of can-do attitude and enthusiasm” says Donna. Originally CPC Fencing didn’t work in the Forestry side of fencing, but a couple of

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Anyone that knows the forestry industry, will know that the Health and Safety and training side is high end and very important, with huge monitoring protocols. The business has a robust policy in place thanks to Danica Wells from Hastrak. “Adapting it into the Forestry world was key and we implement that flavour across the entire business, making it easy to switch WIRED MAGAZINE

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE “We purchased a 13.5t Hitachi and started prepping all our own lines and had a Revolution rammer on the front, enabling us to complete lines without too much environmental footprint, with less soil disturbance. The diggers also made stripping lines and prepping them that much easier and time efficient. This also removes risk factors on cutovers and with staff on the ground” said Phil. CPC Fencing in recent years has been adapting and moving to other less traditional jobs.

“

We have a great crew of staff and subbies to call on. The crews love what they do, particularly the forestry crews, including the challenges and they have a tonne of can-do attitude and enthusiasm

staff and crews in and out of forestry operations” says Donna. “Our systems are audited 3 times a year through the Forestry and from our recent audit we gained a 99% pass mark and we have also received SiteWise Gold. In my opinion audits are viewed as a good collaborative meeting and you should always be learning from the outcomes” says Donna. Training and qualifications are key in Forestry. The staff are required to have Forestry units, chainsaw certificates, ATV/UTV units, WTR endorsements for machinery, and first aid.

CHALLENGING WORK

The work is not for the faint-hearted; the staff in the forestry crews thrive on the diverse terrain, challenging and remote lines. One project CPC Fencing has recently completed was a line on a boundary in a remote block. “Ordinarily you’d not put a fence line there, however, the Trust owners wanted it on the boundary pegs, in this case what the client wanted was what the client got” says Phil. WIRED MAGAZINE

“The line was cleared by hand by silviculture staff, then we helicoptered the materials into the top of the line and the boys completed the line by hand. 500 odd metres, three guys in 13 days - a pretty good achievement in trying conditions in the middle of winter.”

MACHINERY

CPC Fencing has four fully forestry rigged diggers ranging from 13.5t to 23.5t. “Without these machines we wouldn’t have been able to complete some of the lines we have. When we started in the forestry, we’d have lines bulldozed or cut with diggers, this meant a lot of waiting on other contractors to get jobs lined up” says Phil. Forest boundary, fenced by hand using materials helicoptered to site

These machines crossed over between the fencing and post-harvest. With the forestry cut slowing in Northland, CPC Fencing recently sold both large machines. “The 14t Sumitomo working in the business on the motorway project which is a more versatile machine, with a compacting plate and auger, is more adaptable for the business and more cost effective for clients transport wise” said Phil.

Industry & Innovation

Rolling out the barb on the helicoptered line

Grace Stewart (left) and Donna Upton after speaking at a Mana Wāhine Mahi event for women in industry

“The 13t excavator allowed us to get into post-harvest clean-up. Where we invested in two other high and wide machines, a Hyundai 210 and a Hitachi 225, fitted with stick rakes, hydraulic thumbs, meant we could tackle all post-harvest clean-up with minimal footprint” says Phil.

The forestry industry has annual awards, with CPC Fencing nominated in 2017 as Contractor of the Year, the first entity that was outside the forestry industry to be nominated. They have been nominated again for the 2021 awards and this year the nomination is the Forestry Excellence Award. The awards will be held online in 2021, hosted by Jeremy Corbett. “None of the above is possible without great staff, we have a stable workforce and they all want to do an excellent job” says Donna. “We are currently putting 9 of our staff through their Level 3 via NorthTec, some will go on to Level 4 as soon as it rolls out. Staff buy into upskilling, with ongoing training.” The business has been growing as opportunities present themselves. Ingenuity, thinking outside the square and being able to bounce ideas off forestry staff has proven to be a great recipe.

Article supplied by:

www.cpcfencing.co.nz ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

Strainers and stays by the thousands

Marlborough has the reputation of being the biggest wine growing province in New Zealand and is fast running out of land to put grapes. The big companies are buying all the plants and now there is a shortage of plants in New Zealand. Orders are already being taken for 2024. This year has been a quiet year compared to others as we normally develop approximately between 200 to 250 Hectares in a season, which starts late August and finishes before Christmas. We can do up to 10,000 strainers and 120,000 intermediates plus around 7,000 stays in one season. The vineyard fencing trellis rows are different from your normal fencing standard practice. It starts with a digger in

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

“

We do 3 rows at once with the digger straddling the middle row. It takes a couple of days for the crew to get into the groove of it but by the week’s end they can be hitting around 2,000 a day

most cases ripping the GPS line for your Vineyard rows, anywhere between 600mm to 900mm deep depending on plant type and intermediates the client wants to use. The plants are spaced out evenly 1.8m and are most commonly machine planted. The ones that are hand planted are done earlier in the season and are normally small blocks. Posts are 7.2m apart down the trellis row and the trellis rows can be as close as 2m

apart but normally anywhere from to 2.4m to 3m apart. Intermediate Posts are all types in Marlborough with plastic future posts coming freshly on the scene but the most favoured is the half round wood and eco trellis steel post a close second.

VINEYARD DEVELOPMENT

Renner Fencing comes on the scene first in the vineyard development season, laying outposts with the help of overseas workers. These guys work hard and can layout up to 7000 intermediates in one day, they also lay out the strainers, stays and stay blocks. The 15 Tonne digger is next on the scene with three men to help us out lifting the posts and putting them in place - which is normally marked out with a popsicle stick or a rip line marking the exact place for intermediate to go. WIRED MAGAZINE

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

“

We do 3 rows at once with the digger straddling the middle row. It takes a couple of days for the crew to get into the groove of it but by the week’s end they can be hitting around 2,000 a day.

Our trusty Taege Post Drivers work hard but get a hammering and depending on the ground can do as low as 40 per day if the ground is hard and over 200 if it’s good going

STRAINER DRIVING

Next job is the strainer driving at the end of each row. Strainers are survey-marked with a little wooden peg. Wooden strainers are far the most favoured here in Marlborough, the strainers are 2.4m/175 (or number ones as you call them up north). Strainers are driven 1200mm in, 1200mm out.

Strainers and stays complete, Starborough Farm, Seddon

The weight of the wires on a vineyard strainer are all at the top – with only the one wire below the stay, which is the irrigation wire. Fruiting wires are around 900mm to 1m high above the ground and the lifting wires are close to the top of the strainer putting more pressure above the stay.

Intermediate crew standing posts up and leveling

Our trusty Taege Post Drivers work hard but get a hammering and depending on the ground can do as low as 40 per day if the ground is hard and over 200 if it’s good going. This takes two men; one on the Post Driver and the other backing into each strainer peg and in between chamfering each strainer with a chainsaw and boring a stay hole with a 65mm boring bit, not mortest square. Strainer line and stays ready for the digger to put in place, Motukawa Vineyard, near Blenheim

The stays have been done for a long time now with a round stay hole and don’t fail if done properly. Stay hole conventional height is the same as a fence - just above kneecap height or just over halfway down the 2.4m strainer - the 2.4m stays point end goes neat and tight into the hole. Positioning the stay block hard up against the end of the stay on the ground ready for the digger to dig the stay in, the stay block is used to get the exact position of the back wall which allows the placing of the digger bucket gently against the stay block. The stay block goes vertical so when they cultivate in between the rows they don’t hit the stay blocks. We had a guy that is now retired that could do up to 600 stays in a day, you imagine trying to square mortise stay holes in front of him.

WIRE AND IRRIGATION

Now the vineyard block is ready for the wires and irrigation to be run. There are 7 wires on average: one for the irrigation to fruiting wires and four lifting wires. The wires are run out with a quad bike or sideby-side and a wire trailer towed behind that can run up to 5 wires at a time. Wire tension is around 150 gauge for the fruiting and irrigation wires and the four lifting WIRED MAGAZINE

Triplex strainers are used mainly on the lifting wire so they can change the tension when lifting in place around this time of the year. When development is in full swing, we still have two to three fencing crews going which keeps me extremely busy organising the development crews and fencing crews, having up to 15 people on the books when normally it is only 7 or 8.

Industry & Innovation

wires I normally 100 gauge. The reason for this is they get shifted up and down the intermediate depending on the season.

Family affair: Mike Renner with sons Charlie and Lewis laying out eco trellis posts. Father (Terry Renner) driving

Marlborough has definitely changed over the years gone by. Renner Fencing has had to diversify to keep up with the demand of the changing landscape. Article provided by:

Mike Renner Renner Fencing Contractors Ltd www.rennerfencing.co.nz

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

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Industry & Innovation

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

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FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

A Custom-ised business 11th November 2011 is a bit of a big deal in my business life. It was on this day that Custom Fencing Ltd had its first day of trading. Then 9 years later little did I know that a new venture called Custom Construction 2020 LTD would have its first day of trading also. How do you go from fencing to building I hear you ask? Well, it’s not by getting good at doing stays and then applying for your LBP licence I can tell you that for sure! The idea of Custom Construction came about by employing a mate (Tame) who I had met though playing rugby. He had already been building for around 9 years with 6 of those working as a qualified builder in the same area as myself. Work for his old employer had dried up a bit and he had found himself doing jobs that he wasn’t really enjoying. So, as we were sitting down having a beer (where most good ideas come from) I said “Come and do a few weeks for us, help us catch up on a few residential jobs”. One thing led to another and then he was asking me for a job.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

As the grapevine did its job, word got

around that I had a Qualified builder on staff. Next thing I found myself getting asked to price out decks and house

renovations, to which I had no idea about where to start: how long it was going to

take, any variables etc. So, as you do, the two of us sat down for a beer (Speights, if you were wondering) and had a work

out of materials and labour etc and put

our first price in. All this was taking place

“

So, as we were sitting down having a beer (where most good ideas come from) I said – come and do a few weeks for us, help us catch up on a few residential jobs. One thing led to another and then he was asking me for a job

while Tame was driving up a driveway

to complete a building job in a ute with

“Custom Fencing” written on the side…

So Custom Construction was formed and

The only real way to fix this problem was

and the responsibility of the day to day

not the best look in the world.

to form another company. Not a lot of

point in a fencer solely owning a building company though, because if the builder

left, I would end up with jobs on the books I couldn’t complete, letting down clients.

Tame was given a share in the company

running of the company. With there being a massive shortage of builders around our area I could see that as long as we provided a good service, then work

wasn’t going to be too much of an issue. WIRED MAGAZINE

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE So, although still very early days, things have been going very well. We currently have another self-employed builder on the books along with two apprentices and a workload leading well into 2022. There is one job they’re currently working on that they’re not making much money out of though – that’s building my house! Smokos and after work beers are reasonably frequent though!

“

I never thought I’d spend more time in an office than with a hammer in my hand. But look at me now – learning about joist hangers and soffit joiners

Below and right: The formation of Custom Construction has expanded Nick Terry’s business into residential and lifestyle projects

“

Even if you are a oneman band I would really encourage you to look into your own books and your percentage of profit

about joist hangers and soffit joiners. Already knew about tartan paint so had that one sorted! I’m enjoying the new challenge of running two business and learning more about bookkeeping and percentage of profit etc (especially on a day like today when it’s snowing outside). Even if you are a one-man band I would really encourage you to look into your own books and your percentage of profit. And if you’re not to sure what you’re looking at talk to someone like “Next Level Tradie” – I’ve had a few meetings with Daniel and he’s been a huge help.

Industry & Innovation

Personally, I’ve had to spend more time away from the fence line and more time in front of the computer. Which to be completely honest isn’t the reason I got into business – I never thought I’d spend more time in an office than with a hammer in my hand. But look at me now - learning

I’m really lucky that I have great staff working for both companies but in particular the fencing lads that have been with me for a number of years and know what they are doing and accept nothing but the best from each other. It’s the two old stories: surround yourself with good people and life will be rosy; and, it’s not what you know it’s who you know! Article provided by:

Nick Terry Custom Fencing Ltd & Custom Construction 2020 Ltd

www.customfencing.co.nz www.customconstruction.net.nz

Working on the boss’s house: Where smokos are generous and after work beers frequent

WIRED MAGAZINE

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

Like many of you we do a lot of equestrian work, and certainly in some regions it can become a specialisation. Our clients over the years have included breeding horse studs, trotting/galloping tracks, sport horse breeders and owners, horse quarantine facilities, polo properties and lifestylers after a pony or two. One of the jobs we are currently on involves reinstatement of a horse walker. We opted for screwed and glued laminated 25 x 150mm timber to allow for a continuous flow, having used this method for many years on horse round pens, cattle raceways and tight flowing curves in rail work. The platform that had been laid wasn’t level, being 750mm out, and given the height requirement of the walker we needed to create a level site on a recently earth-worked slope, so two retaining walls helped with this situation to create a level platform around the circular walker. The external walls were a 25 metre circle and we wrapped retaining around the bottom half of the circle using 3.6m strainers which were left to level height

because the rotating walker created a visual top line requirement to meet the arms of the walker as it rotated 360 degrees.

WIRED MAGAZINE

We posted the outside wall right around and lined the outside base of the wall with laminated rail before backfilling with our Skid steer and putting drainage in to allow centralised water to escape. Prior to backfilling we drove 1.8’s to full depth to support the middle of the retaining walls.

“

On the external wall we used 4 x 150mm boards staked on each other to create a kickboard for the horses, as opposed to using conveyer belt rubber

Industry & Innovation

Equestrian specialties

Left and right: Laminated rail for continuous flow

For backfilling we used wet run of pit that was levelled and compacted using a 4 ton Excavator to create a level base for the sand rubber combo surface mix. The walls of the walker ranged from 2.7m to 3.6m strainers to create an overall external wall height of 1850mm. Internally the walls were 1550mm high and two bottom boards to hold the surface in On the external wall we used 4 x 150mm boards staked on each other to create a kickboard for the horses, as opposed to using conveyer belt rubber.

The laminated rail was an issue on the tight inner radius. With today’s situation of being landed with what’s available, the timber that was delivered was too knotty and boards were breaking so we had to change over to a softer heartwood timber. The final levelling and surface spreading is yet to happen, along with two gates that we will probably have pipe built with a radius and screw plywood too. Article provided by: Debbie White White Fencing Ltd

www.whitefencing.co.nz

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

Branching out into glamping

Having been fencing for 14 years, his business Ground Up Services recently fell into the glamping and landscape construction area. Some mates and clients had engaged him to build and convert sheds, turning them into outdoor entertaining areas or hideaways, adding decking and other additions to transform them. He then picked up work constructing framing and flooring for glamping yurts. It all started pretty simply, he said. “I was doing a fencing job for a mate and... he said he wanted to build a bar down by the river.” He also built a shed by a pond for an orchard client which turned into a fantastic entertaining area. Another project has been converting a woolshed into a “bit of a boys’ room”.

privacy, which Darryn said could pose some access challenges. “It’s generally not smack bang in the middle of a paddock. Some of the sites aren’t easy to get to.” It often involved cutting material by hand and “lumping” packets of timber down to the site, which added time and labour to the job. The floors of the yurts also take a bit of planning to make them circular. But he was enjoying the variety of work in this area, which had offered another branch to the business, and is on track to grow as glamping became more popular, Darryn said. “I’m onto the guy that does the screw in piles (for yurts), so he’s aware of what I do.” He doesn’t price or estimate work, charging an hourly rate and some margin in the materials.

The foray into the shed business is paying off with nine sold in the last month and 19 builds on the go. He is now full time in the shed side of the business and has two crews out building them with one crew carrying on the fencing. “I’ve had to drop everything else at the moment.”

Industry & Innovation

Tauranga-based fencing contractor Darryn Astill has found a niche market to diversify into which he sees as a growing market.

Before and after: Yurt floor and decking construction

With a background in engineering, building and farming, he had a number of tools to his belt to branch out into. Fortuitously, he also employed a qualified builder early on, so the transition into construction was easy. “When you get skilled labour that can do that sort of stuff, it helps. “We became a bit of a one-stop shop for clients. We can pretty much do anything.” Diversifying into other areas had shored up his business and future prospects.

Unique entertainment areas are becoming more popular

“It all sort of started from there. It just sort of evolved.”

Down the track, a friend was cutting a site for a yurt and got Darryn in to build the floor and the decking around it.

From there, more people became aware of Darryn’s new services.

“One of the wedding venues down the road heard about me.

“I did one glamping site for them and now they’re now wanting four more (yurts).”

Glamping is often located in secluded and off the beaten track areas for maximum WIRED MAGAZINE

“Fencing around here is (limited)... lots of small lifestyle blocks and things. A secluded glamping site in the Bay of Plenty

Yurt-building isn’t the only thing Darryn and his wife Jill have diversified into. They also purchased the local KiwiSpan steel shed franchise in October this year, having been a client for some time. “The owner had mentioned in April he was going to sell. We managed to make it work.” Darryn started his fencing business in 2007 and it grew from there. Many of the local clients wanted sheds built. “We started with pole sheds and ended up purchasing kitsets from KiwiSpan and building them for our fencing clients.”

“The larger jobs are council jobs... (but) they’re getting few and far between depending on funding.” He enjoyed fencing for the outdoors, keeping fit, and getting some vitamin D. But adding some more strings to his bow gave him security into the future. “At the end of the day I wasn’t going to be able to fence forever. “My long-term goal is to fence part time and maybe set the guys up to take over in the future.”

Article written by: Rosa Watson

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Fencing on Civil sites With construction sites and subdivisions popping up in most districts, there is an ever-increasing need for safety and environmental controls to be implemented. We are all accustomed to the health and safety protocol by now and am sure it is well embedded into each of our psyches. Environmental issues are also becoming just as important and I know a lot of us who are faced with it almost on a daily basis, it too has become part of our psych.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

So, in this article, I will explain the issues surrounding these two very important topics.

• Dangers

“

We must also have our own tool box meeting before we commence work, which basically states what we will do that day and the hazards to be aware of

Induction – Before we start work on site,

we must go through the induction, which can take anywhere from two hours to as

much as a day (yeah you heard correctly).

In the induction, the following items will be spelled out:

• Contact personnel including first aider • Hours of work

• Housekeeping • Drug testing

• Nature of the site • PPE to be worn • Nearest A&E

We will then sign a register to confirm

the induction and often get an induction number.

Regarding PPE – as well as the mandatory high viz jackets, lace up boots, and hard hats, it is getting increasingly common

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

for gloves, glasses, ear protection, long sleeve shirts and long trousers. To be worn ALL THE TIME. No fun in the Auckland summer!! On some sites, they have personnel specifically designated to watch for anyone not complying – then it is instantly off site. Our responsibility is to produce a sitespecific hazard register, along with our company Health and Safety Policy. We must also have our own tool box meeting before we commence work, which basically states what we will do that day and the hazards to be aware of. This must be recorded and signed by each of us. It only takes 15 minutes and can be done on the way to site. All this you might think is a hassle and a half, and yes, I do agree, BUT, if something goes bad, WorkSafe is certainly looking who to ‘point the finger at’. And believe you me, I have had this happen first hand.

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A security fence and gates in front of new Catholic School site, South Auckland

FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING

DIVERSITY IN FENCING FEATURE

I will often factor induction time into whatever I am pricing for the site. Site Fencing – Due to the specific consent requirements spelled out by the relevant local authority and nearby residents, the fencing can be quite involved, namely: • Safety fencing • Silt fencing

• Super silt fencing • Dust fencing

• Acoustic fencing • Security fencing

SAFETY FENCING

This is primarily used to keep the public out of hazardous areas, e.g., silt ponds, deep excavations, and high machinery traffic zones. It is also often used to fence around the drip line of protected trees and historical sites, to deter construction machinery encroaching.

Safety fencing must also be installed

above any structure that is over 1.0m high, e.g. retaining walls.

SILT FENCING

We are fortunate to live in a country that has strict environmental controls, which makes it rewarding when we are out

enjoying our leisure activities, as there are countries that belch anything into the air

and send anything and everything into the waterways.

Of course, living in this pristine country comes at a price, in that environmental

controls on construction sites can be an expensive commodity, which obviously must be passed on to the end user.

There are many environmental controls but I will talk about silt fencing. Silt fencing is

used to hold back silt runoff, just like a farm fence is to hold livestock back.

It is installed on the lower end of an

exposed surface where vegetation and/or

topsoil has been removed, and often at the base of earthworks stockpiles.

CONSTRUCTION OF A SILT FENCE • Dig a trench 200mm deep with a narrow bucket.

• On the downhill edge of the trench, install waratahs, or supports of equal strength, 3.0m apart (2.0m apart if working on a small construction site).

• Install one wire approximately 400mm above ground and another at approximately 800mm above ground. • Use 1.20m wide designated silt fence cloth and clip to the top wire then lay in the trench and backfill. I find from experience, it is best to have it lay across the trench with dirt on top, as I have seen them blow out on a windy site. There is no need to attach to the lower wire.

• When joining silt fence cloth, roll both ends on a batten, then nail the battens together. • Along the length of the silt fence, a

3.0m return is generally installed every 40m or as designated by the Engineer, depending on catchment. This is to slow the run-off down.

It is common for the plans

to show the extent of the silt fencing, plus the Engineer

Industry & Innovation

Not all that many years ago, we were asked to install 120m of farm fence on a sub-division and for whatever reason, one of my staff got his hand under the post driver weight, and yes you know what happened, ‘Whamo’, lots of blood and a finger gone. Fortunately, my foreman had all the relevant paperwork in place and WorkSafe checked the machine etc, and realised it was the worker’s own stupidity. He is now permanently on a benefit. Like they say, ‘you’ve gotta have all your ducks in a row’.

can also direct where

additional silt fencing is to be installed.

Prior to inclement

weather approaching, often contractors are

frantically upgrading and/ or refurbishing silt fences to ensure all is secure,

and yes, we have been on

previous occasions called to a site mid-afternoon

Friday to do just that – it doesn’t put a ‘smile on one’s face’. Safety fencing

The construction of this fencing is generally outlined in the site planes, and is mostly constructed using waratahs at 4.0m centres with a top and bottom wire and high viz plastic mesh attached. As this is an integral part of the overall construction works, the fencing must also be maintained throughout and often well after completion. At times, the mesh will need to be replaced as the UV breaks it down.

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Silt fence, credit BRANZ

It has happened that silt fences haven’t

coped with the sudden deluge of silt and

therefore failed, causing silt to go where it is not supposed to. The consequences to the contractor are not nice. Abatement notices

and fines of tens of thousands of dollars are not uncommon.

With an Abatement Notice, all work on site must stop until the silt control is

adequate and has been inspected by

the territorial authority. This of course

does not do wonderful things for one’s attribute portfolio.

The silt fence must remain in place until grass has taken, or areas have been sufficiently covered in mulch, and there is no potential for silt run off.

“

With an Abatement Notice, all work on site must stop until the silt control is adequate and has been inspected by the territorial authority

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE DIVERSITY IN FENCING SUPER SILT FENCE

This fence is similar to a standard silt fence, but more robust, and used primarily if there is a greater slope uphill of the silt fence, and/or potential of larger and stronger silt flows. The construction has a wire netting or mesh attached to the wire before the silt cloth is attached. The super silt cloth is made of a double thickness with the top 200mm single thickness for ease of installation.

This will have a sprinkler hose attached on top which will be emitting water continuously. Dust fencing is not all that common, as most sites are not completely surrounded by residential properties, and if there are properties nearby, the prevailing winds could well be blowing away from them.

ACOUSTIC FENCING

As much as we can have silt and dust pollution, so can we have noise pollution. With a lot of site operating hours between 7.00am to 6.00pm, there can often be people still asleep and families having dinner. A lot of acoustic fencing can be a permanent structure if close to busy roads and noisy facilities.

There was a situation not that long ago, where Land Transport, in their wisdom, installed a significant metal screen noise fence on the Manurewa Hill portion of Auckland’s Southern Motorway. As I travel this section frequently, it was sometime later that this structure was completely removed. I had found out that the reason was that the noise was magnified due to the bouncing and echoing effect of the steel barrier. The most common acoustic fence structure is a timber paling fence, 2.0m high. At the base is a ground treated 150mm x 50mm rail placed firmly onto the ground. The paling configuration can be either: • 150mm paling with 100mm gap and another 150mm paling placed over the gap

• 150mm paling attached with no gap and a 50mm paling secured over the join

• 150mm paling attached with the next 150mm paling placed 25mm over the previous one.

SECURITY FENCING

Super Silt Fence

Silt cloth also comes in an orange colour to double up to use in a high viz zone. Also, you don’t need to apply much, if any, of your Golden Pliers expertise for the construction, as what’s more important is what I have explained.

DUST FENCING

This is a very real issue and is often demanded by local residents. With the constant tracking of earthmoving machinery, copious amounts of dust can be generated, and once you throw some wind into the equation, well Mum next door won’t be at all happy when she is hanging out her washing!

Concrete acoustic fence on Auckland’s Southern Motorway. Note the Stainless Steel wire grid with vegetation starting to creep up on it

Most acoustic fencing is constructed using timber or concrete, which obviously absorbs the noise. On the recent widening of the South Auckland motorway, there was a significant quantity of concrete noise barriers installed. They attached a stainless-steel wire grid and have now successfully grown vegetation against the wall.

It is common for the contractor to have water cart trucks fixed with sprinkler booms solely dedicated for the purposes of dust. However, if for whatever reason this is not practical, then a dust fence can be erected. The construction of this as we have previously done, is a 4.0m high windbreak fence, as used in the horticulture industry.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

On most construction sites, a security fence is paramount around the perimeter. This fence is obviously temporary until construction work is complete and permanent boundary fencing can be installed. The purpose of the security fencing is to keep ‘Joe Public’ off the site and lessens the risks of potential accidents. The construction of security fencing is either diamond mesh or deer netting, using timber posts, which are often installed without concrete for ease of later dismantling. Regarding deer netting, yes, I know you need big end assemblies etc, to give the tension required, and often sites can have many angles, plus ends for gateways. However, we are not dealing with livestock, but people who would climb the fence, so ask yourself the question, “Which is easier to climb? – a tight netting or one that is a little more on the saggy side”? As a further deterrent, a barb wire is often placed on top of the posts. Article provided by:

Nick Liefting Nick Liefting Contractors Ltd nlcontractors.co.nz Timber acoustic fence for new community centre in Auckland

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Course disruption postpones fencing qualifications NorthTec announced in October that due to the continuing disruption from COVID all NZ Certificate in Fencing Level 3 courses will be deferred until 2022.

Tentative start dates for new programmes – subject to further pandemic/weather/ geographical disruption - are as follows: • Geraldine

1 February 2022

• Gisborne

1 March 2022

• Masterton

15 February 2022

Students that have already registered for these programmes will automatically be carried over to the new dates.

The programme has a total of four two-day block courses bi-monthly (one for each topic excluding rural vehicles which will be run separately), and the programme will run to its completion over a twelve month period.

This is a nationally recognised qualification designed specifically for the fencing industry, in association with Fencing Contractors NZ. The programme itself is a combination of in-work, site visit, online, and block course learning, designed with the hands-on workers of the industry in mind.

Masterton

Assessments will be a combination of logbooks, employer attestations, evidence portfolios and video logs, with only a few written assessment requirements. For more information, and to register/ enrol, please go to the NorthTec website, below. New dates for courses across the country will be announced over coming weeks.

About the Level 3 Certificate in Fencing

Gisborne

Geraldine

https://www.northtec.ac.nz/programmes/ agriculture/new-zealand-certificate-infencing-with-strand-in-rural-level-3 Should you have any questions, please contact Course Coordinator Donna Upton by email: dupton@northtec.ac.nz.

Training & Events

Those students who had started the course this year will be contacted when their courses recommence.

Upcoming Fencing Competitions A number of regional Fencing Competitions have been cancelled due to A & P Show cancellations, with Hawke’s Bay and Cambridge the first to go. At the time of print West Otago, organised by Isaac Johnston, will be held. The cancellation of the Southern Field Days in Waimumu was decided in early November, meaning the South Island Doubles Fencing Competition will not take place in February.

Proudly supported by Local Sponsors and:

We are hopeful that the following competitions will take place in 2022: LEVEL

LOCATION

DATE

CONTACT FOR QUERIES

Regional

King Country

Sat 12 Feb

Wayne & Kathy Newdick: 07 8956899

Fri 12 Mar

office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nz

Rural Games Palmerston North NZ Speed Fencing Regional

Central Districts

Fri 19 Mar

office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nz

Fieldays Fencing Competitions

Mystery Creek Hamilton

Mon 13 - Fri 17 Jun

office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nz

In order to enter any of these competitions please email office@nzfencingcompetitions.co.nz to ensure you are on our database, as we email out entry forms when they are ready; or check out the NZFC Facebook page.

WIRED MAGAZINE

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Four mindsets that separate successful business owners from the rest Business Coach Daniel Fitzpatrick takes a look at four ways of thinking that will get you to the next level a lot faster. If you’re like most tradies and have a lot on your plate right now, it’s easy to forget about how your mindset impacts your success. And simply go through the motions every day. Ticking off your long list of to-dos. You want to be making progress but it feels like you’re bogged down by what’s urgent. And not necessarily getting to what’s most important. So, how can you ensure you’re on the right track and progressing towards where you want to be? Such as running a thriving, growing company with an amazing team and reputation that is second-to-none (with plenty of space for regular family time and holidays!)... Start by understanding these 4 mindsets that separate successful business owners from the rest:

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

1. They take responsibility for the big picture Hal Elrod says: The moment you accept total responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life is the day you claim the power to change ANYTHING in your life. It’s true: When you don’t take total responsibility for something in your business, then you’ve given up the power to change that thing. It’s unlikely to then go in the direction you want it to. Ever started a job and took ownership but a few things got away on you… Like when you discovered there were a few extras involved that were not allowed for in the quote... But it was just easier to carry on and deal with it later? In the end your margins disappeared and it was too late to negotiate with the client coz the job was finished... Taking total responsibility (even when it means having the hard client convos in the middle of a job) saves a whole lot of headaches later.

Another big one is taking complete responsibility for your financials. This means consistently being ahead of the game: Knowing exactly what’s coming in, what’s going out, and what’s left. Yes, it’s a good time to be in the trades right now. But good times don’t necessarily lead to a better business. Even when you’ve got more work coming in than you can handle, you still need to be focused on building the fundamentals of a strong business.

“

You gotta think: For what I put in, am I getting a greater return back? Making financial decisions in this way can save time and frustration, and play a great role in taking your business to the next level

WIRED MAGAZINE

Ask yourself two important questions: • What’s out of control to fix right now? (eg. cashflow - there’s a whole lot of debtors you haven’t followed up and that’s why you’ve got no money)

• What are you letting coast by that you need to get control of because it’s gonna bite you in the future? (eg. your foreman is being difficult)

If you can really get a handle on those loose ends, when you get to the end of the year you’ll be much happier with the results.

2. They make financial decisions based on the ROI not the cost Fact: Not all costs are the same. When you make a financial decision, it can either be seen through the lens of it being a cost or an investment. For example, implementing new project management software will cost time and money initially. But will save you time and improve margins and control in the long term. Therefore, just viewing it for its initial cost could hold you back from investing in something that would later benefit you. The more growth focused approach is to analyse your financial decisions based on the ROI, the overall effect. You gotta think: For what I put in, am I getting a greater return back? Making financial decisions in this way can save time and frustration, and play a great role in taking your business to the next level.

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3. They fixate on their goals but are flexible in their approach Any significant goal will have curveballs on the way that try to shunt you in a different direction. The winning attitude is to be firm and fixated on your goals. But also to be flexible in how you achieve them! Imagine a key staff member has left and you need to find a great replacement. It’s hard to find staff right now. Thinking outside the box might mean training an existing team member up into the role, or offering to pay moving costs to attract someone outside the region. There are always going to be turns and bends in the pursuit of our goals. But it’s not an excuse to stop. Instead, it’s a reason to find a different way. As Ryan Holiday says: Stop looking for angels. Start looking for angles. Where are you currently stuck in your business? What isn’t working? Spinning your wheels and hoping things will improve might not be the best approach. Even if you’ve had success in the past, what’s gotten you to point A might not necessarily get you to point B. So, look for a different way. Find a new strategy. Create opportunities and get after the results you really want.

“

Where are you currently stuck in your business? What isn’t working? Spinning your wheels and hoping things will improve might not be the best approach

How often have you seen someone stuck on how something’s going to work, but then someone else has come over and almost immediately found the solution? As billionaire real-estate investor Gary Keller says: Any time in your life you are hitting up against the ceiling of achievement, you’re missing a person. It shouldn’t be a surprise that a different set of eyes sees different things. So, stop and think: How are you taking advantage of different eyes and minds in your business strategy? Do you have a different set of eyes on your financials? Have you got other minds working with you to help take your business to the next level? Having someone who you regularly sit down with to go over various aspects

of your business will force you to show up and think strategically. Which will ultimately help you move forward and stay the course. So, take advantage of it!

Let’s wrap this up

The mindsets of business owners who succeed and those who don’t are very different. Make sure you can say you’re on the right side! Remember: Take responsibility for the big picture. Make financial decisions based on the ROI rather than the cost. Be flexible in how you get to your goals. And don’t go it alone. If you have trouble with any of these areas, contact me for a free online chat to see how I can help you fast track your way forward. Book a time here: www.nextleveltradie.co.nz/nextstep

Daniel Fitzpatrick

4. They don’t expect themselves to have all the answers Tradies sometimes think: There’s no task too big to handle if I just grind it out. However, when it comes to nailing down the nitty-gritty of your business, you’ll run into a problem: You can’t read the label from within the jar.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Business, Safety & Environment

“

Imagine a key staff member has left and you need to find a great replacement. It’s hard to find staff right now. Thinking outside the box might mean training an existing team member up into the role, or offering to pay moving costs to attract someone outside the region

Five essentials of a robust mental health plan for your business

Our modern working environment can unfortunately, present many psychological hazards. Depending on how employers handle these hazards, these psychological threats can massively impact the mental health of workers. The hazards can potentially cause the worker to suffer a psychological injury or exacerbate a pre-existing condition. Hazards in the workplace can include: • The physical workplace environment • The nature and complexity of the work itself • Work procedures

• Behaviour of workers towards one another • The structure of the business

• The potential exposure to violent or traumatic events can be a trigger for stress • The introduction of work restrictions that are beyond the control of the business

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Any business must do its best to commit to supporting the overall mental wellbeing of its workers. This means ensuring that the risk of psychological and/or psychosocial injuries in the workplace are eliminated as far as is practical and that these are effectively and proactively managed through a risk management approach. In this post, we will be looking at the 5 essentials of a robust mental health plan and why they are so important to implement for your business.

Why is a Robust Mental Health Plan so Important? Every employer wants productivity, business growth, and satisfied customers. Satisfied customers go hand

“

Be honest and invite honesty from employees. Remember that a workplace with good mental health is a successful growing business

in hand with satisfied staff. What makes satisfied staff? Being able to cope with a workload, feeling confidant and valued in their role, and getting along with their colleagues, are key attributes to a healthy workplace. If we look at statistics, we can see that workplace mental health compensation claims are associated with aboveaverage absenteeism and higher than WIRED MAGAZINE

The Five Essentials IDENTIFY MENTAL HEALTH RISKS

Firstly, identify the psychological triggers in your workplace, inspect the workplace in action on a normal day, is there anything you can see? Observe how workers interact with each other / public / equipment and see if you can spot issues yourself, and importantly ask managers and staff to observe too. This might feel odd at first but seeing how staff interact with their workplace is crucial in keeping staff content in the workplace. Using surveys is an excellent way to get feedback on employee issues and satisfaction. If you have reports or reviews in your business, these are also a great way to monitor staff mental health.

ASSESS MENTAL HEALTH RISKS

average compensation claim costs than other types of claims. Compensation claims for mental health in Australia are around $24,000 compared to $9000 for other claims. Adding to this, a typical time off work for mental health caused or exacerbated by the workplace was 15.3 weeks compared to 5.5 for other claims. Between 2010–11 and 2014–15, around 91% of workers’ compensation claims involving a mental health condition were linked to work-related stress. The most common reasons for mental health issues arising from the workplace are work pressure, or work-related harassment, or bullying. So, we can see that businesses that do not have a robust mental health plan can incur significant human and financial costs. WIRED MAGAZINE

Initiate a formal process for the assessment of mental health risks. Like other health and safety risk assessments, write down all the risks to mental health in your workplace. Is it the pressure of a high workload that never ends? Is it rapidly changing deadlines? Is it ‘banter’ between employees? A high volume of customer complaints? Lack of breaks? Mental health stresses can be subtle and individual so be sure to take your time with assessing the risks. Perform a risk assessment that can be a written record in your business, so managers are aware of the triggers and can help staff cope. Having this written document will help you manage your plan effectively.

CONTROL THE MENTAL HEALTH RISKS

Of course, it’s not always possible to prevent constantly changing deadlines, negative customers, workplace banter, or high work volumes! So how do you manage these risks to mental health? Planning and prevention is key. When you know what the mental health hazards are, (from that all-important written risk assessment!) You can start the journey to prevent these risks. Controlling these mental health triggers

may always be a work in progress, as risks change and fluctuate constantly and as the business and workplace evolve.

REVIEW YOUR PRACTICES

Monitor and review your risk assessment regularly, is controlling the stress hazards working? Be honest and invite honesty from employees. Remember that a workplace with good mental health is a successful growing business.

OPEN DIALOGUE

An open dialogue is fundamental to a robust mental health plan. Open discussion between employers, staff, and managers is crucial in identifying risks, assessing risks,

“

Perform a risk assessment that can be a written record in your business, so managers are aware of the triggers and can help staff cope. Having this written document will help you manage your plan effectively

controlling risks, and reviewing risks. Staff need to feel they can highlight issues, (they as individuals) feel are stresses without being seen differently (as perhaps problem maker or a negative colleague etc). This open dialogue will be your greatest tool in identifying risk, assessing risk, and putting into place control measures to manage employee stresses. In summary, consider that the most common reasons for workplace mental health issues are work pressure, workrelated harassment, and bullying. Identify, assess, control, and review your mental health hazards and use open dialogue in your business to facilitate this. If you need HR support as a business owner, we at Employsure offer a tailored service where we can assist you in building a robust mental health plan. We also offer free initial advice too, so feel free to get in touch with us 24/7 to see how we can help your business grow.

Business, Safety & Environment

“

Observe how workers interact with each other, the public and the equipment, and see if you can spot issues yourself, and importantly ask managers and staff to observe too

Reproduced with thanks to Employsure employsure.co.nz | 0800 568 012)

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

‘Tis the Season to act safely How’s everyone doing out there? Not many sleeps to Christmas, SUMMER, BBQs, and FAMILY TIME. It’s been a pretty challenging year or so for all of us, so hang in there. It will get better. Thought it would be timely to provide a reminder of the responsibilities we all have under the Health and Safety at Work Act (the ‘Act’). We have had an increase in injuries reported within fencing of late and some of these are actions of other contractors and multi business operations. Foremost, ensure all persons responsible for the job you are undertaking have had a discussion on the likely risk or harm that can happen if it becomes an ‘OH SHIT’ moment.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

The Act has three key responsibility areas:

• PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) is essentially the

business entity, for example, Fensin is

a PCBU. It can be an individual person, but more often than not it is the business.

• Officers is the owners, directors,

trustees, managers, or supervisors.

Anyone who has a level of financial or operational control in a business.

• Workers are anyone who works in the business

It is really important to note that a person can hold one, two or all three of these roles in a business and as such can

get charged/fined in all three areas of responsibility.

The responsibilities of the roles are:

PCBU

The responsibility of the PCBU is the

“Primary Duty of Care”. The primary duty

of care is to provide everything health and safety. That includes providing a safety

management system, training, personal protective equipment, well maintained tools and plant and reviews to make

sure everything is working and remains

appropriate. So, for all of these items that are missing, the business can be fined.

OFFICERS

The Officer’s responsibility is to maintain

due diligence. This means that they need to understand the risks and hazards the

work presents, ensure that they are being

managed effectively and that the business has enough resources to maintain its

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“

The responsibility of the PCBU is the “Primary Duty of Care”. The primary duty of care is to provide everything health and safety

primary duty of care. The Officer’s level of responsibility in this matches their level of control. So, an owner and director will hold more responsibility than a supervisor. Again, Officers can get fined if they don’t meet their duties.

WORKERS

A worker’s responsibility under the Act is to: 1. Look after their own health and safety: you must do what you can to maintain your own safety. A good way of doing this is to communicate any issues that you have. 2. Look after the health and safety of other people: Again, communication is a great way to do this. If you see something that is unsafe, you should say something. You also need to ensure nothing that you are doing is putting others at risk

Workers that neglect their obligations under the Act can also be fined.

THE BAD STUFF

Fines for the different responsibilities under the act are as follows: PCBU:

Up to $3 million for reckless conduct

Officers: Up to $600,000 for reckless conduct Workers: Up to $50,000 for reckless conduct.

What could be the cost of an injury or fatality through failing to protect people in your workplace?

SERIOUS NEGLIGENCE We are seeing more prosecutions at all levels occurring of business from directors to workers for harm caused. You can find this information on the WorkSafe website.

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These are the extreme end of the scale, but it is important that you know how serious it could be. We now have had all responsibilities under the Act fined, so various businesses, directors and workers have all been prosecuted and fined for neglecting their duties under the Act.

with so many more of you during best practice and industry days. Our travel has been limited at times by the pandemic of course but please call if you need advice, anytime. What stands out is that everyone we see is doing their best to keep everyone safe and while there is always room for discussion and good ways of doing things to improve, it’s great to share how we do this. Good job guys. Keep up the good work. So, if we don’t see you before Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday, and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!! Take time to relax and chill with family. Deb and the RuralSafe team.

Business, Safety & Environment

3. Follow reasonable health and safety instructions. So, if you are asked to wear chaps while using a chainsaw, that would be seen as a reasonable instruction.

NOW, THE GOOD STUFF

As always, it is great to work with the fencing industry and you great people.

Deb | RuralSafe | ruralsafe.co.nz

We have the privilege to work closely with many fencing contractors and interact

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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How to prepare for Christmas Are you dreading Christmas? As a business owner, you’re likely dreading it more than the present shopping, and food prep for the big day. For a small business, cashflow is king, and the December / January period is often challenging financially.

Two of the biggest stressors, especially for service-based businesses, like fencing contractors, at Christmas are: • Slow payment of invoices across December and January – this can put big strain on the ability of a business to meet overheads • A significant drop in revenue generating work across December/ January – with many businesses taking leave, work coming in can slow down a lot, creating a large decrease in billing ability With only a little over a month to go until the Big Fella makes his way down the chimney, what are some of the steps you can take to prepare your business for the quiet season?

REMINISCE ABOUT CHRISTMASES PAST

Whilst Aunty Glenda’s trifle may be on your mind here, think finances instead. Look at your figures for last Christmas. Was there enough in the pot to cover all your overheads comfortably? What was the uptake of your products and services like at that time? Make some informed decisions about how you proceed into this Christmas by using those figures. It may be a good time to increase promotional activity in the lead up to and through November. Now is a good time to check on your customers and see what extra help they may need. You never know, they may be waiting for a call!

TALK TO EBENEZER

Okay, so this really refers to your bank, and whilst they are strict with their money it is also worth speaking with your bank

WIRED MAGAZINE

in the lead up to Christmas, to see what additional support and safety nets can be put in place for you. If through analysing your finances, you found you were more reliant on an overdraft during that period, now is the time to start talking to your bank about how you can ensure you have a big enough safety net to help you get through. Just remember to factor in how easily this overdraft can be serviced on the other side of Christmas.

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE

There is never a bad time to promote your business, and in the lead up to the quiet season, now is probably the best time of all. What are your unique selling points? Are people aware of them? Focus on what makes your offering better or unique, and really drive that message. Your business is your baby, so don’t be ashamed to let people know how proud you are and encourage them to check you out.

REMIND THEM OF WHAT YOU REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

If all you’ve received for Christmas in the past is the sound of crickets from the people who owe you money, get proactive. November is a great time to send out reminders to your customers about what they owe you. This gives you time to follow up any late payments in the early stages of December. Make sure you send your invoices for December and January out promptly and before Christmas. By doing this, you set yourself up to be paid more promptly, and your debtors have no excuse for not having paid or arranged a payment arrangement with you. Communicate with your customers in relation to getting paid before Christmas.

COMMUNICATE WITH SUPPLIERS

Worried that you might not quite have enough to make it through? Whatever you do, make sure you talk to your suppliers. They’re likely feeling the same stresses, but if you get in touch with them to make payment arrangements, they can then manage their cashflow better too. The bonus is that by communicating with your suppliers, you’ll create a more trusting relationship with them, and they’ll be more likely to want to help you in the future. Whether you love Christmas or hate it, by taking some simple proactive steps between now and December, you can lift some of the stress that this time of year inevitably brings with it. Of course, if you’re unsure how you’ll get through, or you need a little bit of help looking at your finances and making some plans, Biz Assist is always here to help. Get in touch to have a chat, and we can help ensure that you’re celebrating this Christmas, rather than worrying about the finances. Graeme Bratty www.bizassist.nz graeme@bizassist.nz 022 587 0149

Graeme Bratty operates Biz Assist Limited, a consultancy that specialises in providing small and medium businesses with wide ranging advice and guidance in how to make their businesses stronger and more efficient. He has 30 years’ experience in senior commercial finance roles and has a passion for guiding small and medium business owners to plan for and achieve their aims.

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Business, Safety & Environment

It’s no secret that smaller businesses are often in a more ‘hand to mouth’ scenario money wise, making the impending festive season more than a little bit stressful.

Rock solid job at Simons Pass Station Rabbit netting a fenceline in the South Island’s Mackenzie country added an extra element to a large tenure review job for Tekapo-based contractor Nathan Monk.

The 17km job at Simons Pass Station near the bottom of Lake Pukaki job included 6.3km of deer fencing with rabbit netting. Nathan and his worker, with the help of some casual labour, spent more than three months completing the line. “There was just the two of us the majority of the time, with help of casual labour mainly when putting the rabbit netting on.”

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

He also brought in Geraldine-based contractor Ben Haugh’s crew that completed 2.1km of the line. The weather was one of the biggest challenges on the job, according to Nathan. There was close to three weeks of inversion layer and hoar frost, which left limited visibility for getting the work done. Time management and planning was required to get around this.

WIRED MAGAZINE

Inversion layer and hoar frost reduced visibility for weeks

“

At smoko one day we worked out that this job put us over 60km of rabbit netting and 600,000 clips

“Due to the uncertain times we face, trying secure a date for supply of materials was nightmare,” Nathan said. “But the key material that was worth its weight was the Waratah rabbit netting. Its quality is second to none.”

“

But the key material that was worth its weight was the Waratah rabbit netting. Its quality is second to none

“The scale of the rabbit netting was probably the biggest time-consuming part - having to put a rock on the apron every one to two feet apart. “Over 17km equated to a ship load of rocks!” Rabbit netting added half the price again to the cost of materials, and the same again for the labour cost.

Rocks 1-2 feet apart made the 17km fenceline labour intensive

“What they did rabbit net was more a border for control,” Nathan says. “In today’s world, fencing has intensified and now between multiple groups are putting a plan together to intensify rabbit netting on new and mainly existing fences for easier control on rabbits.”

Heavy rain added to disruptions

“When it cleared, you’d drop what you were doing and continue sighting lines while you could see,” Nathan said.

Loaded up for the job

“This job in particular we rocked as opposed to pinning. I got a digger in to sort a pile of rocks into a manageable size. “On Glenrock Station just recently we put seven kilometres of Waratah rabbit netting on and pinned it down as opposed to rocking due to the lack of availability of rocks nearby. “At smoko one day we worked out that this job put us over 60km of rabbit netting and 600,000 clips.”

Nathan Monk, Monk Fencing

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The control of rabbits in the Mackenzie has been ongoing for many years now, and in the early days there weren’t a lot of fences in the area.

Monk Fencing has been operating for 15 years, which Nathan operates alongside an accommodation business in Tekapo township. He reckons 99.9% of their work is rural with a small amount of residential. As well as rabbit fencing, the MacKenzie area has thrown up a few different challenging jobs for Monk Fencing. Earlier this year they also undertook fire damage repairs, replacing strainers, joining broken wires and restraining.

Our People

On top of the weather throwing up some obstacles, another challenge was keeping to the timelines that were submitted as part of the tender in the tenure review.

Article written by: Rosa Watson

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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A Wife’s Tale It was a hot summer’s evening and I was at home watching a chick flick while Shaun was at tennis – my one and only night to indulge in something estrogen filled. Suddenly, the dog barks as she hears his truck pull up. Damn! I thought. It’s only 7.30pm! Why so early?

There, in the middle of the flight of stairs, Shaun was perched, unable to crawl any higher. “What the hell happened!” I unintentionally screamed (I blame the estrogen.) “Um, nothing really” he said through strained teeth. “Well, that’s clearly a lie.” “I pulled something in my ankle.” He seemed embarrassed. Like an unfortunate accident was somehow his fault. “I’ve never seen you in so much pain hun. Like, ever. Let’s go to A&E now.” Reluctantly he slid back down the stairs and hopped/crawled/moaned into the car.

“

How many mental health issues in men stem from some kind of physical injury, losing the ability to work and stripping them of their sense of worth I wonder?

Upon looking at the scan the doctor announced a tear in the tendon as well as a couple of ligaments. Cast. Crutches. The works. The next few weeks were intense to say the least. Not even oral pleasures were easing the pain. I also naturally slid into the role of nurse (and when the uniform didn’t bring joy I knew he was in a very dark place). I kept his medication four hourly. I helped him shower. I eased him into vehicles. Drove him to relentless scans, MRIs, x-rays,

hospital appointments. I actually enjoyed caring for him. He was a quiet and grateful patient. And as a partner, I knew he would do the same for me. Yet, as time wore on with no ease in his pain, he was also incredibly frustrated with, um, everything. “What’s up My Love? What’s going on for you?” He skirted around the answer until I probed it out of him. “I know I need to rest but I don’t feel I deserve to put my feet up. I’m meant to be the provider.” And this right here is our male-centered epidemic. Men who just don’t know how to listen to their bodies and push through until they physically or mentally can’t. The adverse effects of the disease, if left unnoticed and unattended to, can be life altering. In the beginning Shaun would instruct me to drive him to work in the mornings to set the guys up, then we would go check on jobs (crutches and soft dirt don’t mix well by the way), then meet clients, then, then, then. He just wouldn’t stop, even when his body was in so much pain, he just couldn’t bring himself to rest. He felt compelled to “work” right up until he would literally fall over, and I would have to force him onto the couch with a cattle prod (it’s OK, I didn’t turn it on). As a woman, I do understand the pressure to keep going. Yet I believe it is different for men. The pressure for women often comes from feeling that “no one else can do what I do.” But for men it’s more of a sense of pride and self-worth. Shaun said something to the effect of “If I’m not working then I don’t feel like a man”. Work = feeling worthy. Not working = lazy-goodfor-nothing-shite. This kind of mentality, when occurring for long periods, eventually takes a toll on one’s mental health. As it did for Shaun.

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.

WIRED MAGAZINE

Month after month of pain and no improvement. Doctor after doctor giving him false diagnosis and false hope. Day after day of frustration, hopelessness and feeling... useless. It started to impede on his happiness. Which was devastating for me to watch. Supporting someone you love through a (mental) health crisis requires constant love, care and knowing that “this isn’t them”. That the person is in there somewhere and they need your commitment and visions of hope for the future. It also required me to normalise resting for him. I stopped driving him around, initiated conversations on how rest will heal his foot faster – as per the doctor’s instructions, and I put expectations on him to rest every day. I also reminded him that my love doesn’t discriminate between working and resting, it’s a constant thing and that I’d really like to get back to oral pleasures again. Please. How many mental health issues in men stem from some kind of physical injury, losing the ability to work and stripping them of their sense of worth I wonder? I feel compelled to see if there’s any research and data on this. Injuries are going to happen. We (sometimes) can’t avoid that. How the aftermath is dealt with, however, is crucial and how they, the injured, is supported plays a significant role in their recovery. Today, eight months later, Shaun still experiences pain. However, he is much better at knowing when to find a seat. And when he doesn’t, I still have my cattle prod handy.

Our People

But there was no trudging up the stairs like normal, only odd breathing sounds accompanied by slithering-on-carpet noises. I reluctantly put down the remote and popcorn to go and see what it was all about.

Angelena Davies ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Shane on the Wire Revving it up! When all we seem to read about these days is Covid this and Covid that, all I really want to read is something real from real people, something that makes me smile that I can relate with.

My first car was a Datsun 120Y. It really was

a piece of junk, but freedom was what it

was all about. Being mechanically minded, I learnt to pull things apart and fix them. I soon realised that I should get rid of the

thing and get something safer and faster… My old man tried talking me into get a bike

licence and a road bike, but I had eyes only for a ZX Bluebird, an import with mirrors

on the bonnet. It had a sunroof which my mates wanted to hang out of during late night cruising on the town. It was fast

too. I remember catching up with a mate in Palmerston North one night. He had a

Torana with a 302, jacked up rear end and super wide tyres. A bit of revving at the

lights and we were off. I kept up until we hit

60 then he left me behind. It helped me that he was wheel spinning and I kept traction. Unfortunately, I summersaulted the

Bluebird one night coming home from a YFC meeting at Waikite hot pools. I fell asleep only to wake spinning in the air.

Luckily the Bluebird landed upright in a swamp so not too much damage..

After a couple of years, I upgraded to a

Mazda rotary. For a young fella, such a cool

Unfortunately, I summersaulted the Bluebird one night coming home from a YFC meeting at Waikite hot pools. I fell asleep only to wake spinning in the air

transport. We have had a few Holdens.

YFC shooting possum and rabbits off the

back. I met my wife to be during that time. She says she could hear me coming from

two streets over. It had huge speakers and

a cool stereo system. Sadly, with a wife and kids on the way, the L200 had to go.

were growing up and getting their own I think we have a personal relationship

with James the salesman. Wife has one

of the last Captiva’s ever sold. I have two

Colorado’s of the last shape, one for work and one for towing the boat, as you do… And the young fella has one as his work

Ute, plus I’m considering getting another one for staff.

Over the next ten years we had big family

These days I enjoy the fact that its just me

Ghia’s. Big, comfortable, and full of

the chance and putting what ever extra on

cars, as you do… In my case Fairmont

creature comforts. But for anyone that

ever owned a Ford, its true – Fix Or Repair

DAILY. When I was single, my vehicles were kept spotless. After all, a young fella must impress the girls. That went out the door once kids came along. The little brutes

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

“

single cab L200 4x4 with massive wheels

farms with the guys and girls from Tokoroa

One day a while back, we were in at Holden for some reason, and they had a Black Captiva in the in the show room. That was the start of our journey with

Holden vehicles. And fortunately the brats

and tyres. That Ute covered South Waikato

So, a long time ago, I got my licence to drive. Back when I turned 15, I got my learners straight away then 6 months later had the restricted. I missed out on the old system of turn up, go for a drive and you had a full license in one day, by a year. So just a small delay. I would hate to be sitting it these days. Sounds like a real mission.

We had always bought pre-abused vehicles and thought it would be nice to go new, so we waved goodbye to the Ford and L200 and hello to a shiny new black Diesel Triton. That was back in 2007. Would you believe my son owns that ute now and its done close to 400,000KM.

car but totally impractical for a young cow cocky, so a year later it got ditched for a

Shane Beets co-owns Call A Farmer and builds fences in ‘Northland’.

Its so much easier to put farm stuff in a Ute. The last Fairmont hardly got used. The biggest mistake we made with that Ute was to get a V6, good grief the thing was hungry, but we had it for a while.

power chucked, spread sticky lolly slobber, melted ice blocks, and generally treated

the back seat like a pig sty. Not to mention the slamming of doors. Little kids don’t

know their own strength. I suppose you could say I just gave up.

After about ten years of that we got back into Utes. First it was a double cab L200.

driving my Utes, cleaning them when I get them that I can, you know, personalising

them… Sadly these will be the last Holdens I ever buy new, so I will keep them for a

while, until of course the grandkids trash the back seats.

So that’s my vehicle story. Each and every

one has a place in my life and each one has lots of memories and stories of its own.

So, I challenge you all to write in and tell us your Ute or whatever story. I bet there is a few to tell.

Straight posts and tight wires. Shane WIRED MAGAZINE

Membership Form Fencing Contractors NZ offers a range of benefits and services to members in the fencing industry,

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Fencing Contractors NZ Certified Fencers Barakat Contractors Ltd (Te Kauwhata) Dale & Carl Barakat t. 07 826 4461 m. 027 473 5513 e. dale@barakatcontractors.co.nz w. barakatcontractors.co.nz

Fencing Solutions Waikato (Morrinsville) Todd Sherburd t. 07 887 5549 m. 0274 927 337 e. todd@fsw.co.nz w. fsw.co.nz

Ground Up Solutions (New Plymouth) Clayton & Sue Horton t. 06 758 2217 m. 021 710 712 e. info@groundupsolutions.co.nz w. groundupsolutions.co.nz

Ben Haugh Fencing (Geraldine) Ben Haugh t. 03 693 8088 m. 021 523 291 e. info@bhfencing.nz

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

Higgins Fencing Contractors (Wakefield) Philip Higgins t. 03 541 9292 m. 021 222 5033 e. info@higginsfencing.co.nz w. higginsfencing.co.nz

Burton Fencing (Cambridge) Sam Burton burts@live.com t. 027 501 7180

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

Call A Farmer (Wellsford) Shane Beets t. 09 423 7585 m. 027 625 5383 e. info@callafarmer.co.nz w. callafarmer.kiwi

Glentui Fencing (Feilding) Mike Billinghurst t. 06 323 6466 m. 0272 695 662 e. glentuifencing@xtra.co.nz w. glentuifencing.co.nz

Central Fencing (Canterbury) Nigel Broadbridge t. 021 433 623 e. nigel@centralfencing.co.nz w. centralfencing.co.nz

Golden Bay Fencing (Takaka) David Jacobson m. 027 266 7335 e. fourjake1@gmail.com

CPC Fencing Ltd (Northland) Phil Cornelius t. 09 4332644 m. 027 274 4188 e. cpc.fencing@yahoo.co.nz Custom Fencing Ltd (Waikouaiti) Nick Terry t. 03 465 7212 m. 021 614 100 e. nickterryfencing@xtra.co.nz Ewing Fencing Contractors (Oamaru) Mark Ewing t. 03 431 3864 m. 027 498 4049 e. mark@ewingfencing.co.nz

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Grant Macdonald Fencing Service (Tauranga) Grant Macdonald t. 07 543 3486 m. 027 494 2251 e. grantmacdonald@mclarenfalls.co.nz Grant Scott Fencing Ltd (Te Awamutu) Grant Scott t. 07 870 6541 e. g.scottfencing@gmail.com Greg Burton Fencing (Cambridge) Greg Burton t. 07 827 8765 m. 027 427 8765 e. mazgreg@xtra.co.nz Ground Up Services Ltd (Tauranga) Darryn Astill m. 027 586 9227 e. darryn@groundupservices.co.nz

High Country Fencing Ltd (Darfield) Geoff Rogers t. 03 317 8028 m. 021 640 748 e. info@highcountryfencing.co.nz w. highcountryfencing.co.nz Jeff Joines Fencing Contractor Ltd (Kāpiti) Jeff Joines t. 06 364 2510 m. 027 484 4481 w. jeffjoinesfencing@gmail.com John Baldock Fencing Ltd (Katikati) John Baldock t. 07 552 0763 m. 021 176 4719 e. john@johnbaldockfencing.co.nz w. johnbaldockfencing.co.nz Lake Contracting (Omakau) Ken Lake t. 03 447 4031 m. 027 224 0302 e. kenthomaslake@icloud.com Landwork Solutions (Ōtaki) Brad Joines m. 0274955693 e. office@landworksolutions.co.nz Meersbrooke Fencing (Palmerston North) Alan Rennie m. 027 450 6420 e. meersbrooke@hotmail.com

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Noksee Fencing (Motueka) John Noakes t. 03 5286388 m. 027 446 4413 e. noakesjc@gmail.com

Steve Williamson Fencing (Timaru) Steve Williamson t. 03 686 4779 m. 027 455 3385 e. shwilliamson@actrix.co.nz

Phillips Contracting 2016 Ltd (Edgecumbe) Josh Phillips t. 07 304 8443 m. 027 587 3551 e. phillipscontracting@xtra.co.nz

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

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

West Otago Fencing Ltd (Tapanui) Grant & Wendy Harris t. 03 204 8285 m. 0272 866 576 e. harris29@xtra.co.nz

Samuel Fencing Ltd (Alexandra) Mike Samuel t. 03 448 6949 m. 0275 2454090 e. mikesamuel@xtra.co.nz Steve Locke Fencing Ltd (Blenheim) Steve Locke t. 03 578 1927 m. 021 37 1971 e. steve@stevelockefencing.co.nz w. stevelockefencing.co.nz

Affiliates, Trusts and Training Institutes

White Fencing Ltd (Papakura) Tony White t. 09 292 8064 m. 027 495 7868 e. admin@whitefencing.co.nz w. whitefencing.co.nz Wilson Fencing (Havelock North) Brendon Wilson t. 06 877 9844 m. 027 657 4588 e. b.m.wilson@xtra.co.nz

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES WIRED SUBSCRIPTION: 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@fencingcontractors.co.nz or visit our website fencingcontractors.co.nz 0508 4 FCNZ (0508 4 32269) | PO Box 3232, Greerton, 3142

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ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

Fencing Contractors NZ Board

PHIL CORNELIUS

DEBBIE WHITE

SHANE BEETS

m. 027 274 4188 e. phil@fencingcontractors.co.nz

m. 027 495 7033 e. debbie@fencingcontractors.co.nz

m. 027 625 5383 e. shane@fencingcontractors.co.nz

SHAUN DAVIES

MIKE RENNER

e. shaun@fencingcontractors.co.nz

m. 021 416 798 e. mike@fencingcontractors.co.nz

DONNA UPTON

MAX WALTON

m. 021 761 022 e. donna@fencingcontractors.co.nz

m. 027 240 1100 e. max@fencingcontractors.co.nz

(PRESIDENT)

m. 021 944 996

(VICE-PRESIDENT)

(TREASURER)

Fencing Contractors NZ Team

HEATHER KAWAN

JAIME BIGWOOD

JEANETTE MILLER

Operations Manager t. 0508 432 269 m. 027 432 2033 e: heather@fencingcontractors.co.nz

Communications and Marketing Manager m. 022 317 7118 e: communications@fencingcontractors.co.nz

Administration Manager t. 0508 432 269 m. 021 767 759 e: admin@fencingcontractors.co.nz

ISSUE 63 / DECEMBER 2021

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The 49 year-old 3rd generation Kiwi company you’ve never heard of. We’re passionate about wire and steel, and since 1972 we’ve amassed vast experience and expertise for manufacturing right here in Tauranga. Our technical knowledge and expertise delivers high performing products. From 5m rolls to 1000m rolls and bigger, for farmers, fencing contractors, small block owners and DIY do-it-yourselfers – Talk to Bayonet, We have the Solution.

0800 330 320 bayonet.co.nz

Central Otago fencing contractor Chris Aspinall has been using Bayonet products since for ages.

C T H Canterbury Timber & Hardware

WIRED December 2021

Articles inside

Rock solid job at Simons Pass Station

Adapting key to creating a diversified fencing business

A Custom-ised business

Branching out into glamping

Strainers and stays by the thousands

Fencing on Civil sites

Construction by numbers