THE BIG RESET April - May 2024
NEW APPROACHES TO WATER, TRANSPORT AND CONSTRUCTION
This sector stands as a cornerstone in Oman's developmental journey, spearheading infrastructure projects ranging from expansive road networks to modern airports, ports, and railways.
The nation's burgeoning population has sparked a surge in residential construction, while its strategic geographic location has transformed it into a bustling commercial hub. Consequently, Oman boasts a flourishing commercial real estate sector, catering to the needs of both local enterprises and international businesses with state-of-the-art facilities.
Underscoring its commitment to economic diversification, the Omani government has made substantial investments in the construction sector, bolstered by initiatives such as Tanfeedh and Vision 2040. Embracing sustainability as a guiding principle, Oman has adopted green building practices aligned with global standards, thus ensuring responsible growth and environmental stewardship.
Moreover, Oman's construction landscape is witnessing a technological renaissance, with innovations like Building Information Modeling (BIM), drones, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolutionizing traditional methodologies. These advancements not only enhance operational efficiency but also drive down costs, making projects more economically viable.
With an estimated construction market size of $6.82 billion in 2024,
Project Oman Exhibition 2024: Paving the Path for Construction Innovation
Situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman has emerged as a beacon of economic growth, propelled largely by its vibrant construction industry.
Oman's construction sector stands as a beacon of opportunity and growth. Against this backdrop of optimism and progress, Project Oman, the 3rd International Construction Technology and Building Materials Exhibition, is set to return from October 21 to 23, 2024, at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC Muscat). This premier event serves as a platform to spotlight investment opportunities in Oman's construction sector while fostering international trade relations with prominent local market entities. Bringing together
key stakeholders including project owners, specifiers, manufacturers, and industry experts, Project Oman will showcase cuttingedge building materials, products, and equipment essential for major projects across Oman.
Building upon the success of its previous edition, Project Oman 2023 welcomed over 120 exhibitors and attracted 7,450 visitors from 23 countries. This year's event promises to surpass expectations, offering unparalleled networking opportunities, insightful discussions, and access
to the latest innovations in construction technology and materials.
As Oman charts a course towards sustainable development and economic resilience, Project Oman 2024 stands as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and growth in the nation's construction sector. Join us in shaping the future of Oman's built environment and unlocking new avenues for progress and prosperity.
For more information about Project Oman, visit www.project-oman.com
Previous CostBuilder construction cost updates in the Covid-19 era showed the cost of building a standard three-bedroom home increased by an average of 20.9% in the year ending June 2022, and by an average of 9.5% in the year ending June 2023.
“Since the onset of Covid-19, we’ve seen some very rapid building cost inflation. I’m pleased to say this is now firmly on the downward trend, reflecting a somewhat improved economic outlook internationally and the easing in many of the global supply chain difficulties that arose throughout the pandemic,” said CostBuilder spokesperson and quantity surveyor Martin Bisset.
“However, there is still an abundance of economic and political uncertainty that could still impact construction costs in the future – including the Israel-Hamas conflict and the ongoing disorder on the Red Sea.”
More than 10,700 rates were updated in CostBuilder’s February update, producing roughly 25,000 changes to the data across six centres, with trade rates falling by 0.1%. This included a decrease of 28% for T&G plywood flooring panels and a 4% fall in diesel prices.
Elemental rates increased by 0.2% on average since CostBuilder’s last update in December. The cost of ceiling finishes increased by 0.7%, structural walls increased by 0.6%, and exterior walls/exterior finish also went up 0.5%.
“There are no significant reasons for these increases, but some are related to a small increase in the labour rate. Fuel costs have come down, inflation is in decline,
Home building costs rising but at slower rate
A The average cost of building a home in New Zealand’s main centres has increased by 0.3% this quarter and 5.2% since February 2023, a much smaller percentage to recent years.
and increased migration is helping to fill labour shortages, which is helping to keep most costs in check,” Mr Bisset said.
“It’s important to remember these figures are averages and the cost of building will always be dependent on the level of finishes, internal layout, and all manner of other elements, including whether or not a home has a single or double garage.”
CostBuilder is an online subscription-based building cost platform, powered by state-owned enterprise Quotable Value (QV), with a database of more than 60,000 rates across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
It covers everything from the building costs per square metre for warehouses, schools, and office buildings, to the approxi-
mate retail supply cost of GIB and more than 8,000 other items, plus labour rates, labour constants, and more.
In a change to previous years, CostBuilder will now have four major updates a year – February, May, August and November – with monthly updates in-between.
Construction activity to fall after reaching peak
A government report shows that construction activity hit its peak following an increase in demand after Covid-19, but is now forecast to drop back to prepandemic levels
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has published the National Construction Pipeline Report 2023 providing a projection of national building and construction activity for the six years from December 2022 to December 2028.
MBIE commissions the National Construction Pipeline Report, which is jointly prepared each year by the Building Research Association of New Zealand
(BRANZ) and Pacifecon (NZ) Ltd (Pacifecon), this is the 11th annual edition of this report.
There are four key findings in the report this year:
1. Construction activity returns to 2020 levels: Overall activity in the sector is forecast to experience a short-term decrease, returning to levels similar to 2020, and remain steady at that level before increasing from 2028.
2. New dwelling
consents returning to more sustainable levels: The number of building consents issued in the last year suggest we have passed the unprecedented post-covid demand and are realigning with more usual levels of fluctuations.
3. Strong pipeline of work: The forecast value of non-residential building work remains steady over the reporting period, this is supported by recent increases and a projected
value peak in 2023.
4. Strong infrastructure pipeline: Recovery from the extreme weather events in early 2023 and works to increase resilience throughout the country are key drivers in a projected increase in infrastructure works. The value of infrastructure work is expected to reach a new high in 2026 and remain steady from that point onward.
Key points by activity type Residential
• The report forecasts a reduction in residential building activity to a more sustainable level of demand that aligns with the sectors capacity to deliver buildings ready for occupation.
• Over 200,000 homes are forecast to be consented over the next six years, almost half of which are expected to be multiunit dwellings.
Non-residential
• The report forecasts the value of nonresidential building activity to reach a modest high in 2024 and remain steady and consistent throughout the remainder of the forecast period.
• Commercial, education and health building activities make up three quarters of nonresidential projects expected to start in the next year.
Infrastructure
• The report forecasts the value of infrastructure building activity to steadily increase to a new high in 2026 and remain steady at that new level, largely driven by the extreme weather rebuild and increasing resilience throughout the country.
• Nearly all of the infrastructure projects expected to start in the next year are transport, water and subdivision activities.
Key points by location
Auckland
• Almost half of the building consents in the forecast period are expected to be in Auckland. The region is forecast to experience a decrease in activity over the forecast period, however, it will remain the largest market for building and construction in the country.
Waikato/Bay of Plenty
• Overall building activity in Waikato and Bay of Plenty is expected to have small fluctuations. Non-residential activity is forecast to remain stable and the decrease forecast in residential activity is expected to be offset overall by the increase in infrastructure activity.
Wellington
Infrastructure building activity in Wellington is expected to see good growth over the forecast period. The increased value of infrastructure building work is forecast to support the decreased value in other areas and allow the region to start and finish the forecast period with similar overall construction values.
Canterbury
• Residential and nonresidential building activity have seen significant growth over the last few years in Canterbury. Expectations over this forecast period see the region decrease overall to levels similar to before this growth. Infrastructure
and non-residential activity is expected to remain steady with modest increases in infrastructure activity towards the end of the forecast period.
Otago
• Building activity in Otago has been strong and consistent since it was separated from the Rest of New Zealand reporting category in 2020. In the short-term forecasts show a continued increase in non-residential and infrastructure building activity, all areas are expected to decrease before moving back into growth towards the end of the forecast period.
Rest of New Zealand
• The ten remaining regions in New Zealand are reported combined under the ‘Rest of New Zealand’ reporting category. Infrastructure building activity, largely related to the extreme weather events recovery and building resilience to future events, is expected to increase and support the regions overall given an expected reduction in residential building activity.
Analysis
The aim of the report is to provide awareness of the expected pipeline of work to support the sector’s strategic planning, investment in skills and equipment and coordination of construction procurement to meet the sector’s future needs.
“Having foresight into
these areas could help mitigate uncertainty and allow for better preparedness across the sector,” says Michael Warren, Manager System Strategy and Performance.
“Several indicators show that the unprecedented post-covid demand for residential building, which saw record numbers of building consents issued, is alleviating and significantly reducing the demand on the sector.
“The overall activity forecast is positive, shortterm reductions across various measures in the report suggest activity fluctuations in the sector are being less affected by COVID-19 and returning to a more usual pattern.
“Residential building activity is forecast to return to levels that align with the sector’s capacity to deliver buildings ready for occupation, settling the sector into a more sustainable level where supply and demand is much closer than it has been in recent years.
“Recovery from the extreme weather events in early 2023 and works to increase New Zealand’s resilience to future weather events, have resulted in a forecast for strong growth in the infrastructure pipeline over the next few years and strong activity in the regions where we expect to see this building activity commence.
“There are strong non-residential and infrastructure pipelines of work including works supporting education, health, fresh water, transport, and subdivisions creating space for future residential and nonresidential building activity.”
GEBT 2024 builds solid foundations for business opportunities in smart spaces
Guangzhou, 20 June 2024. The 21st Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology (GEBT) concluded on 12 June 2024 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. Held concurrently with Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE), the two fairs showcased 3,383 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions, while attracting 208,992 visitors. This year, GEBT promoted the exchange of expertise among participants and created numerous business opportunities in smart spaces.
Key figures from GEBT and GILE 2024:
• Visitors: 208,992 from 150 countries and regions
• Exhibitors: 3,318 from 20 countries and regions
• Scale: 260,000 sqm
Ms Lucia Wong, General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, said: “I am pleased that this year's GEBT maintains strength in both exhibitor and buyer participation, with a recordbreaking number of buyers
coming from overseas.
Everyone has been eagerly sharing their latest innovations, promoting the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and collectively exploring the immense potential within the field of intelligent building. Looking ahead, I believe that the industry will continue to thrive, and I welcome you to reunite here in the summer of next year in Guangzhou.”
The 21st edition presented “Smart Lighting and AIoT Solutions” zone, “Home Automation and Audio
Visual” zone and “Home Automation and Green Building” zone, covering products and solutions in home automation systems integration, home audiovisual and entertainment systems, intelligent shading, smart lighting, electrical engineering, smart hotels and more. Among them, the wide applications of smart spaces have gained significant attention in the industry, as they create huge value in the commercial space design, home automation, and
innovative communities sectors due to the great adoption of intelligent building technology.
Exhibitors’ comments
“We have been participating in GEBT for approximately eight consecutive years, aiming to expand our overseas business by leveraging the fair's international influence. In recent years, we have been actively developing products and solutions related to smart spaces,
which are able to optimise user experience with efficient interconnection and control capabilities beyond traditional smart products. This approach has opened up new business opportunities in what is a competitive industry. I am confident about the future market and plan to exhibit again next year.”
Mr Tom Zhou, Sales Manager, Hangzhou Tuya Information Technology Co Ltd
“GEBT is widely recognised for its professionalism and industry appeal, drawing numerous leading brands and attendees each year. In addition to smart hotel systems, smart spaces represent a core focus area for our company. As technology continues to advance and the market expands, the development path for smart spaces will only become broader.”
Mr Li Duan, General Manager, Nanjing Puietel L.O.T Technology Co Ltd
Buyers’ comments
“We are a Polish electronics manufacturing company seeking LED and home automation solutions. Home automation products and solutions are increasingly popular in Europe, as the continent has implemented many new laws to promote green transformation and sustainability. This is why we are keen to explore new products and suppliers in China. The fair is very professionally organised, and I am looking forward to returning for future visits.”
Mr Dariusz Gotkiewicz, Supply Chain Manager, ALS Stanislaw Binkiewicz (Poland)
“This was my first visit to GEBT, where I am sourcing for system and equipment suppliers in the home automation and smart gerontechnology sectors. With the advent of an aging population, it has become an urgent issue to find ways to help the elderly better enjoy their later years. In addition, I made a point of visiting the KNX Association’s booth to gain a deeper understanding of how the KNX standard and its related technologies are applied in home automation systems.”
Mr Honghua Wang, Purchaser, Changzhou Yidu Lighting Co., Ltd
Providing insights on industry trends and promoting the sharing of knowledge
This year's GEBT offered 11 engaging forums and new product launches highlighting 70 popular topics related to the latest industry developments. Some of the key areas included the applications of smart spaces and AI technology, intelligent zerocarbon buildings, smart and healthy lighting, as well as system integration.
Speakers’ comments
“As a leading event for the industry, GEBT gathers a diverse array of exhibitors, distributors and engineers from around the world, enabling the rapid exchange of vital market insights. At this forum, we delved into how the Matter standard, as a unifying force in the global home automation industry, can empower local companies to expand into overseas markets. Over the years, GEBT and the Connectivity Standards Alliance have worked in tandem to drive the development of this
dynamic industry.”
Ms Wilma Su, Chairman, Connectivity Standards Alliance
“I used the Gloryview headquarters building as an example to emphasise the importance of shifting space design from focusing on smart applications to green and low-carbon operations. With the wide applications and practicality, smart spaces represent a crucial direction for the industry’s future development. GEBT's forums provide both speakers and audiences with insights into the latest technology in the industry, allow them to learn from one another, and collaboratively drive the innovation and advancement of smart spaces.”
Mr YuFeng Mai, Director of the Technical Centre, Gloryview Tech (Shenzhen)
Audiences’ comments
“This year's AI Marketing Forum invited a number of industry leaders to share the cutting-edge technologies and business models. This has greatly broadened my knowledge, especially on how to apply the matrix calculation in an actual business setting, from which I gained a lot of inspiration. GEBT serves as an important platform in the industry, and each time I participate, it provides a positive impetus for the development of my career.”
Mr Linsheng Zhang, Manager, Handan Sunwood Mark Lighting Co Ltd
“As a company focuses on intelligent building control, we maintain close partnerships with many integrators. Therefore, we look forward to learning
about the latest trends in the integration market through the Integrators’ Conference. The intelligent building case studies presented at the forum were particularly inspiring. Overall, GEBT provides a valuable platform for engaging in meaningful dialogue with renowned players in our industry. I plan to attend again next year.”
Mr Shuorui Hong, Sales, Guangzhou Huibo Technology Co Ltd
The next editions of Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition and Guangzhou Electrical Building Technology will be held from 9 – 12 June 2025. Both shows are part of Messe Frankfurt’s Light + Building Technology fairs headed by the biennial Light + Building event. The next edition will be held from 8 – 13 March 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.
Messe Frankfurt organises several trade fairs for the light and building technology sectors in Asia, including Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology, Shanghai Smart Home Technology, Parking China and Shanghai Smart Office Technology. The company’s lighting and building technology trade fairs also cover the markets in Argentina, India, Türkiye, the UAE and the US.
For more information on Light + Building shows worldwide, please visit http://www.brand.lightbuilding.com. For more information regarding the building shows in China, please visit www.building. cn.messefrankfurt.com or email building@china. messefrankfurt.com.
Number of women in construction doubles since 2013
There has been a significant increase in the number of women joining the construction industry, however, they are still significantly underrepresented, making up just 15% of the trades and construction industry
When Rebecca Gornall, Health and Safety Manager at Mansons TCLM Limited, first started her role in commercial construction six years ago she was one of the only females on site.
“Now there are a number of full-time female workers across all the sites I visit. This grows each year which will help with industry
culture because it still has its traditional stereotypical construction tag. It’s a tough industry and there’s no political correctness involved.”
Gornall, whose father, brother and partner are in construction, is encouraging more females to join what she says is an exciting and dynamic industry.
“Every day you go to a site
it’s different and constantly changing. It’s an incredibly dynamic and exciting environment – and that’s what I love about it, no day is the same.”
At the moment, the industry is made up of about 250,000 men and 40,000 women. Though the number of women is almost double what it was in 2013, for on-the-tools work, women are further
underrepresented at just 4% of the workforce.
Lynne Hill, Safety Adviser at Site Safe New Zealand, is looking forward to the day when construction is not seen solely as a man’s job. Before working in construction, Hill served in the Air Force for 40 years.
“It never really entered my mind that construction was a male-dominated industry after the time I spent in the
Air Force because there were women in combat, women pilots, and women doing a whole range of work,” she says.
However in construction, Hill says there is the occasional perception that if there are females on site, a male is going to have to carry their load.
“I beg to differ. I have seen some males that can’t carry as much as I can. Women are going into construction with their eyes wide open. They’re not blind to what construction is like and at the end of the day, I think you’ll find most women just get in there and do a great job.”
Hill says women simply being in the industry is helping change the culture.
“It is changing from the harden up and don’t cry culture to helping people. It’s all about being approachable. I just wish there were more women in construction. The more
we get, then the better the culture will be. There will be less back chat, and it will become a normal environment for women to be, somewhere they can be themselves.”
Melissa Campbell, Health and Safety Manager from construction company LT McGuinness, has worked in construction for 14 years.
“For a long time, the biggest challenge for me was getting people to take me seriously as a young female in a management position. But the old school mentality around women being in construction is changing dramatically.”
She says companies are now looking to women for unique skills that brings something different to the industry.
“A mix of cultures and ages are important and together with gender diversity, it brings the chance to challenge each other, to be competitive,
and to innovate and bring new ideas into the fold.”
Gornall says while a number of business industry leaders and managers are looking to employ more women, she is still a true believer in employing the right person for the job.
“It’s not about employing more females to catch up to the male dominated industry. It’s very much who is right for that role and the right fit for the team. I have worked alongside a number of women in construction, we definitely have unique skills, a real passion and a different way of thinking that has huge benefits for the industry.”
Construction safety and site management platform, HammerTech, takes the same approach. Chief Executive Ben Leach says HammerTech hires staff based on who it believes brings the right skills, experience, and perspective
to a role.
“We don’t hire women because we need to hit a specific quota. However, it just so happens that about half of those hires are women.”
This year, to highlight how important women are to the industry, HammerTech is sponsoring the Women In Construction scholarship at the Site Safe 2024 Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Awards.
“In construction, women bring diversity not just through gender, but through critical thinking and leadership style. Employment opportunities are on the rise, career pathways are increasing, and the value of diversity is becoming more recognised in what has traditionally been a male dominated industry,” says Leach.
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Government transport plan ideological, unbalanced and petty
The draft Government Policy Statement for Land Transport focuses more money than ever before on state highways, at the expense of public transport, walking and cycling. It also extends its reach much further than ever before, undermining the ability for NZTA/Waka Kotahi and local governments to make independent and evidence-based decisions, Greater Auckland’s Matt Lowrie writes
The Government has launched their draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) for Land Transport for consultation, replacing the draft version that Labour released last year prior to the election. As the name implies,
the GPS sets out the government of the day’s transport policies and planned spending on transport, over a 10-year horizon – although is refreshed every three years. The GPS breaks transport spending down into given
“activity classes” and sets a funding range for each. Those funding ranges are then used by the New Zealand Transport Agency and regional councils to come up with more specific plans for how that money will be spent. Those plans
are also required to be consistent with – and give effect to – the GPS.
This GPS is probably the most ideological, unbalanced and petty transport policy the country has seen. It is one that, despite the government’s
rhetoric, will ultimately result in worse safety outcomes and fewer alternatives for driving, meaning more congestion, higher emissions (given transport is our second biggest source of greenhouse gases) and New Zealanders spending more on transport.
The media attention so far has largely focused on
also happening: the GPS proposes a large 12 cents per litre fuel tax increase in January 2027. This would bring fuel taxes up to the same rate Labour had proposed, but in one big jump. All of this increased tax is to help pay for just a fraction of their roadintensive policy.
As expected, this government is focusing
• Mill Road
• the East West Link. Roads to unlock housing growth:
• Hamilton Southern Links
• Petone to Grenada Link Road and the Cross Valley Link
• North West Alternative State Highway (SH 16). Other major routes:
• Takitimu Northern
to be the world’s costliest road project).
The other big priority in the GPS is road maintenance, with the government creating new funding allocations specifically targeted at “pothole prevention” on state highways and local roads.
what’s arguably one of the more sensible aspects of the plan: increasing vehicle registration fees, which haven’t changed since 1994. The plan will see registration fees for most vehicles increase by $25 next January and then the same again a year later. The government says the registration fee increases will raise $530 million over three years.
It’s easy to see the media “cost-of-living” angle here, with costs landing harder for those already doing it tough – especially given National promised no new taxes and not to increase fuel taxes.
But this doesn’t mean fuel tax increases aren’t
their transport policy on building lots of big roads. In other words, More Roads Of National Significance.
The Roads of National Significance include:
Whangarei to Auckland, with the following stages prioritised:
• Alternative to Brynderwyns
• Whangarei to Port Marsden
• Warkworth to Wellsford.
Tauranga to Auckland, with the following stages prioritised:
• Cambridge to Piaere
• Tauriko West State Highway 29.
Auckland roads:
Link Stage 2
• Hawkes Bay Expressway
• Second Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve upgrade
• the Hope Bypass
• The Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass. They also say all RoNS “will be four-laned, gradeseparated highways” which is notable as in Auckland at least, both Mill Rd and the East West Link were never intended to be built to that standard under previous schemes. This likely means those projects will cost even more than they were already expected to (recalling, too, that the EastWest Link was already set
When it comes to public transport, one aspect they do highlight is:
There has been a 71 percent increase in Crown/ NLTF funding for public transport over the past 5 years (Figure 3). However, over the same period patronage has decreased by 23 percent. This has partly been caused by COVID-19 restrictions, but numbers have not increased back to pre-COVID levels.
Increased public transport fare-box recovery and third-party revenue will be expected from local government.
Drops in public transport use has not “partly been caused by COVID-19 restrictions“, it’s almost entirely as a result of COVID and the changes
to society that have occurred. And ridership levels are now quickly getting back to pre-covid levels. Furthermore, the issue with setting hard fare-box recovery targets,
than having arbitrary limits. There are similar issues with rail, where the government are going to cut funding from the NLTF but hypothecate track user charges, saying:
fund rail infrastructure. Rail investments will continue to be supported and funded through the Rail Network Investment Programme, as agreed by Cabinet. Track User Charges paid by rail
trains an easier choice for people who currently have to drive. That’s why the previous government allowed for rail projects to be funded from the NLTF. The real key to the
like the previous National government did, is that it ignores the economic benefit of that crown investment. Public funding for public transport should be focused on achieving the best overall outcome, rather
While rail freight network investments will remain within the GPS, rail infrastructure will no longer be cross-subsidised from revenue generated from road users. It is unfair to ask people using the roads to
users will be used to support these investments. Investments in the rail network, such as the rail network rebuild in Auckland, are entirely about making trains operate better and therefore making
GPS, though, is in the expenditure targets and activity classes. These are where the government set how much funding can be allocated for each type of activity. These are given maximum and minimum
ranges, with Waka Kotahi NZTA deciding where in the range the actual result will sit.
The headline figure here is that the government expects to spend over $18.6 billion on transport over the next few years – and that doesn’t include its expenditure on things that sit outside of the NLTF process, such as the City Rail Link, recovery from last
with different governments, I’ve grouped these into some common categories for comparison.
So, at a minimum, the government is telling Waka Kotahi it has to spend more on state highways than ever before. And that’s to be paid for by slashing public transport, walking and cycling. (Note: the big drop shown in road policing is because the classes
be contrary to the Land Transport Management Act, which enshrines the agency’s independence. All the road related activity class descriptions include statements such as:
The Government expects that funding in this activity class will not be used to make multimodal improvements, i.e., cycleways and busways, or fund traffic calming
walking and cycling where there is either clear benefit for increasing economic growth or clear benefit for improving safety where demonstrated volumes of pedestrians and cyclists already exist.
[…..]
year’s weather events, etc.
To put this in more perspective, here’s how this expenditure target has changed over successive versions of the GPS. Note that as of last August, Labour were also promising a big jump – however over the three years, this government’s aim is around $650m higher.
Things get even more extreme when considered at the activity class level. As activity classes change
that fund road policing also included other safety measures in the 2021-24 GPS.)
This GPS also extends its reach way beyond all previous ones, delving into technical details in a way that, if followed, would undermine the ability of NZTA/Waka Kotahi and local governments, i.e. councils, to make independent and evidencebased decisions. This appears at first read to
measures, such as speed bumps and in-lane bus stops. Funding may be used to remove speed bumps that exist on high volume corridors. It is expected that NZTA will prioritise reliable travel times in all investment decisions in this activity class
While the Walking and Cycling description says: This activity class is for the purposes of maintaining the existing walking and cycling network and investment in
Any investment in walking and cycling must be funded exclusively through this activity class. These sections imply incredibly unsophisticated understandings of economic value, and the role that all modes play together in enabling a more efficient and effective transport system, and transport’s role in enabling the success or otherwise of housing and other urban development. This is especially for urban areas, both towns and cities. Let alone the horrifying
implications for safety – it implies building or repairing roads without footpaths, crossings, and protective cycleways – and of course the environmental harms –especially including climate change, which appears so minimally in this document you’d suppose it no longer exists.
Does this government expect local roads to be built without even any footpaths?
What this means is the government is using funding activity classes to enforce detailed design outcomes. That’s getting extreme; it removes options from local councils and centralises decision-making with the government. Our transport system is already far more centralised than most countries, and this just makes that worse.
Given most projects these days – even the ones from the previous national government – are multimodal, this is a massive shift. It is entirely about
trying to stop investment in walking and cycling. It’s
must be able to show clear economic benefits
also deeply impractical: many urban projects require walking and cycling as part of their consent conditions, to mitigate the negative impacts of roads. Trying to split those aspects of projects out is not just bad policy, it’s also likely to lead to delay and extra cost while agencies work through those processes. It’s also notable that this GPS says walking and cycling projects
– while other projects, the government’s RoNS in particular, don’t. The irony is that walking and cycling projects often offer some of the best economic value, while assessments for most of the RoNS projects show they will never deliver as much economic return as they cost to build. And again, this is leaving aside climate considerations, and the impact of climate inaction
on both our economy and our transport system –which the whole document seems comfortable with, even though transport is the main area all New Zealanders can all actually contribute to significant change.
There’s a lot more to dig into, but all up this GPS is concerning, if not downright irresponsible.
Consultation on it is open till 2 April. By all means have your say, it’s important to highlight the issues and put public perspectives on the record. That said, whether the plan changes substantially will probably be down to how local government reacts, or whether there’s a judicial review of any of the issues above.
First published on Greater Auckland: The Government’s Ideological Transport Policy – Greater Auckland
This shows the minimum and maximum spending ranges for some key activity class groupings over successive GPSs.
E v e r y p e r s o n , e v e r y c a n c e r
895,115 Kms driven to get people to appointments
46,600 Bed nights for people receiving treatment 5,742 People attending supportive care programmes
0 8 0 0 C A N C E R ( 2 2 6 2 3 7 )
The thinking behind congestion charging versus reality
The Government plans to work with Auckland Council to implement time of use road charging to reduce congestion and improve travel time reliability.
Shane Martin, Principal Economist and People Leader at MRCagney, explores what congestion charging aims to accomplish and what needs to happen first
If you know any economists, you’ll know that we rarely agree on anything. This is why congestion charging is so interesting to me – it’s one of the only topics I can think of that economists nearly unanimously agree is a good idea if done right.
While I don’t want to get
into the specifics of what congestion charging might look like in Auckland or how to best implement it – there is plenty of time to argue about that later – I do want to talk about congestion charging more generally – what does it try to accomplish and why?
But before I do that, it’s
necessary to point out that road user charges (RUCs) and congestion charging are different topics and shouldn’t be lumped together. RUCs are to pay for the wear and tear that vehicles impose on the roads. They are an alternative to a fuel levy, but the purpose is the same –
pay for the maintenance of roads. RUCs are worthy of their own discussion, but do not belong in the discussion about congestion charging. This is because congestion charging has nothing to do with road maintenance. They are a mechanism to manage demand for roads during peak times. Talking
about RUCs in a discussion about congestion charging would be like talking about refrigerators in a discussion about the best way to cook a steak. Sure, you keep a steak in the refrigerator, and you want the refrigerator to work, but that’s got nothing to do with how you cook the steak.
The theory of congestion pricing
William Vickrey first suggested congestion charging in 1952 for subways in New York City. The theory behind congestion charging is really simple. When the price of something goes up, people buy less of it. In this case, “it” is travel by private vehicle. By imposing a charge to enter certain areas during certain parts of the day, the price of travelling to those locations increases. When the price of travelling goes up, people travel less.
Despite how critics of congestion charging will spin it, it’s not a punitive measure to get people to travel less – though less travel at peak times is indeed the goal. And it’s not just another way for government to raise revenue. Instead, it is a way to make drivers reckon with the costs that they impose on all the other drivers and society when they travel; costs that currently go unrecognised in the decision-making process. During the times of day when roads are at or near capacity, every additional car on the road slows traffic. As individuals, when we make travel choices, we don’t consider that when we drive to work in the morning rush, we make everyone behind us – some of whom are still asleep
and haven’t left yet – take a bit longer to reach their destination.
In general, we think about the cost to ourselves (time, petrol, parking, maybe wear
less pressure to expand the roading infrastructure (which is eye-wateringly expensive) even further. That’s good for society. A congestion charge also
and tear), but we rarely consider the costs we impose on others.
In theory, a congestion charge takes this cost we impose on other people and makes us consider it by making us pay for it. And doing this can change our behaviour.
The pros and cons
Of course, drivers don’t like congestion charges. That shouldn’t be surprising. Given the choice between paying for something and not paying for something, everyone would choose not to pay. But what is often overlooked is that the quality of what you’re getting goes up. In a world where congestion charging exists, trips are faster, easier, and more reliable. That’s good for drivers. And it’s why businesses like trucking and logistics are often in favour of congestion charging. In addition to less wasted time and more reliable trips, fewer cars on the road at peak times means less pollution, fewer carbon emissions, and
a congestion charge is a very good way to manage demand and congestion. But as is often the case, theory and reality are two quite different things.
For instance, the theory of congestion charging does not consider equity impacts. It’s simply a mechanism to get people to consider the cost that their decisions impose on others. Of course, high-income, able-bodied people with large savings accounts will be able to absorb that cost better than others. This is true of literally every cost.
raises revenue, though this is not why congestion charges exist. Since the best way to get people to consider the impact their actions have on others is to charge them money, doing this naturally raises money. This is money that can be used to invest in making the transport system work better for everyone. It can be used to provide better alternative modes or fund much needed transport infrastructure.
So, what are the downsides? The most frequently mentioned downside is equity impacts. A congestion charge can impact low-income households more than highincome ones. It can also impact those who do not have other choices for travel – for instance, a disabled person who would find it very difficult to use public transport or someone who lives in an area with poor public transport or walking/ cycling infrastructure.
Congestion charging in reality
I’ve given a very brief overview of why, in theory,
Yes, there will be equity impacts, but this is not a good reason to eschew congestion charging altogether. This is the old saying about throwing the baby out with the bathwater. That’s why government needs to support Auckland improving its public transport system, especially in places that are underserved. And that’s why we need leadership to embrace the infrastructure that allows us to get places without our personal car. If we’re going to make people pay the cost they impose on others when they travel and induce them to travel less, or at other times, or by means other than a personal car, we need to make sure they have alternatives to the thing we’re asking them not to do. And these alternatives need to be in place on Day 1. Because if we don’t do these things, our traffic problems might get solved at the cost of those people who can least afford it.
Originally posted: Congestion Charging Theory and Reality | LinkedIn
Hard work gets results
The success of Rapid Facility Services is driven by a team that combines experience, commitment and a professional skillset that covers every aspect of facilities management with personal service
The team was forged by three friends working in the industry who realised that the key thing stressed building managers, business owners and landlords needed was to make a single call and get a reliable and qualified support team that would cover any aspect of facilities management.
The Rapid trio set down a business philosophy that “we will do what others can’t or won’t do “ and set about assembling a highly trained, efficient and safety-conscious team of professionals who get the job done right, the first time.
Today that service stretches from food manufacturers’ audit cleaning, all aspects of industrial cleaning, painting, building and floor safety management to anti-microbial and moss
Having worked in the industry for many years, three friends, Paul Schoch, Robyn Schoch and Andrew Chan realised that by combining their skills, they could create a company unlike any other
and mould treatments to prevent surface damage to roofs, ceilings, walls, floors and specialised equipment.
Team members Darren, Brandon and Akeli
Councils mulling options after plug pulled on Three Waters Reform
As the government moves to roll out new Local Water Done Well legislation by mid-2025 after repealing the previous government’s Three Waters legislation, the future is uncertain for local councils
Future of Northland’s $1.8 billion Three Waters assets under the spotlight
By Susan Botting, Local Democracy Reporter
Northland Northland’s council wastewater, stormwater and drinking water provision for more than 150,000 people had been in the process of shifting off the books of Whangārei District Council (WDC), Far North District Council (WDC) and Kaipara District Council (KDC) and
Auckland Council.
Under the previous Government’s plan, it was to move into a giant interregional water services organisation called Entity A.
This entity was to be New Zealand’s first cab off the rank and up and running by the middle of next year, in what was originally to be four giant inter-regional mega Three Waters entities nationally.
But the new Government is to disestablish Entity A as part of wiping its
predecessor’s Three Waters reform – later renamed Affordable Water reforms –and pass the first new law to replace it by the middle of the year, followed by a second law to bring in its long-term replacement by mid-2025.
The mid-year law change will introduce a bill including streamlined rules for councils to set up council-controlled organisations (CCO)s, if they wish to.
This could see WDC,
FNDC and KDC banded together to create a Northland CCO where Three Waters delivery, financial assets and debts are shifted off councils’ books to the CCO.
That would create a larger-scale Three Waters regional group that could then borrow more than councils could individually. Councils face a deadline to provide their new regional water proposals to the Government, which will intervene if that does not
The second new law will include powers to be used if councils are failing to meet requirements to deliver financially sustainable and safe water services.
WDC is Northland’s strongest-placed council when it comes to its Three Waters infrastructure provision and debt, for more than $633 million-plus in sector assets.
Its ratepayers would potentially need to subsidise Three Waters functions for FNDC and KDC under a single regional CCO, depending on whether the Government contributes financially and how any borrowing for necessary plant upgrades happens.
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has indicated the Government will not underwrite councils’ new CCOs.
repeals.
However, the council is positioning itself on its part in how any new regional structure for Northland Three Waters provisions shapes up.
“Whangarei’s position has always been that councils who have good assets, ringfenced funding for Three Waters and are doing a good job should be able to continue as they are.
“They should be allowed to retain ownership and control of water services and responsibility for service delivery,” Cocurullo said in response to the repeal.
“There are some who are not in the same situation as our council and they might want a different set up and it should not be a one size fits all, with minimal local input and no choice.”
sector’s reforms. Councils are in the midst of putting together their next longer-term budgets. Whether Three Waters infrastructure is on or off their books making a big difference to council financial health – and in turn the size of next year’s rates increases.
Cocurullo said WDC looked forward to seeing what new Three Waters legislation looked like.
“In the meantime, we are putting water services back into our (upcoming) Long Term Plan and will be consulting with the public on that in late March/April,” Cocurullo said.
the Department of Internal Affairs as the new legislation is prepared.
Weston will continue as WDC chief executive whilst being a during that time.
Other group members include New Zealand Infrastructure Commission director Raveen Jaduram, Porirua City Council chief executive Wendy Walker, law firm Chapman Tripp partner Mark Reese and international utilities and infrastructure advisor Castalia managing director Andreas Heuser, who will chair the group.
Castalia carried out research for the more than two dozen councils nationally that fought the previous Government’s Three Waters proposals as part of the breakaway Communities for Local Democracy (C4LD). This cast doubt on the then Government’s calculations around the cost to ratepayers of failing to carry out its reforms. happen.
Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo said he supported the new Government’s Three Waters
South Wairarapa defers Long-Term Plan amid changes
By Emily Ireland, Local Democracy Reporter Wairarapa
South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] will defer its Long-Term Plan [LTP] to next year as it awaits a raft of policy changes from the new Government.
Instead, it will adopt an “enhanced” annual plan for 2024-25.
The move would be enabled by the Water Services Acts Repeal Bill, which is going through Parliament and is awaiting approval.
The Bill includes several transitional arrangements for councils to defer their 2024-34 LTPs because of
Whether Northland local government’s Three Waters assets and debts are on or off councils’ books has been bouncing around since the start of the
considerable unknowns regarding the future of water reform.
The controversial Three Water reforms were recently repealed by the Government, which is now working on new legislation due to be rolled out by mid2025.
Long-serving councillor Colin Olds said the deferral would ensure the community had more certainty around future government changes.
“Understanding what roading and water will look like will enable the development of a sound Long-Term Plan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Carterton and Masterton councils will go ahead with adopting a LTP.
At Wednesday’s council
Meanwhile WDC chief executive Simon Weston has been appointed as one of five water specialists nationally on the Government’s new Three Waters reform technical advisory group – made up of finance, infrastructure and local government experts.
The group will advise
meeting, SWDC chief executive Janice Smith said taking an “enhanced” annual plan approach was beneficial and she “struggled to find any fish hooks”.
It did however mean the council would be adopting an LTP in June 2025, “with an election hot on the heels of that”.
She said the council had also taken legal advice around the recent rating review, which confirmed that this did not trigger the need for an LTP amendment.
The existing LTP would remain in force in the meantime.
An SWDC spokesperson said the advantages of the deferment included
the completion of the Featherston Masterplan to “firm up direction on development options in the out years of the LTP”, the confirmation of the next three years of NZTA roading funding, and time to further develop its asset management plans.
“Activities included in the Enhanced Annual Plan for 2024/25 would help inform the next LTP and offer more insight into the future options,” the spokesperson said.
“[It] will also allow us to consult and engage South Wairarapa communities with more certainty about the outcomes and budgets we will be proposing for the long term.”
Community consultation
for the SWDC Enhanced Annual Plan for 2024/25 will begin in April, which will help determine the levels of services and the budget for the 2024/25 year.
A nine-year 2025-34 LTP will be produced next year.
The potential to defer LTPs was discussed at Carterton District Council’s [CDC] Risk and Assurance meeting on Wednesday.
But CDC chief executive Geoff Hamilton said there was “very little difference” between having an LTP and an enhanced annual plan. Both would require an
Canterbury councils look to local solutions for water reforms
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
North Canterbury
North Canterbury’s mayors are seeking a local solution after the Government abolished the controversial Three Waters legislation.
Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon said retaining local ownership has always been the goal, while exploring options to work with neighbouring councils.
‘‘At this stage we’re celebrating Three Waters remaining in community ownership ahead of the new bill being introduced to Parliament later this year,” Gordon said.
‘‘If the legislation mirrors the policy direction signalled by the Government, it provides councils options to either go it alone or work together in a council-controlled organisation or similar model.
‘‘We will be having informal discussions along these lines with our local government neighbours
infrastructure plan and an asset management plan that would need to be consulted on, he said.
“In our opinion, the right thing to do — we’re 80 per cent the way through the LTP now, probably closer to 90pc — we should just push on and do it.”
Members of the committee were more concerned about the impact of delayed rating valuations from Quotable Value.
The council would not receive them in time for the consultation document to be adopted, which Hamilton said “is a really big risk for
while this takes place, but essentially we will be
our community”.
“If those values change materially between the [consultation document and the LTP], there will be a material change in the rate impact for those households.”
Mayor Ron Mark agreed and said he didn’t want to “be hitting people with a consultation document that says this is where we are going to be … and when we come to the final adoption in June, suddenly it’s all different”.
The CDC Risk and Assurance Committee agreed to recommend to
represents around 30 councils and campaigned
waiting to see what the legislation says.”
Under the former Government, 10 large independent entities would have been set up to manage drinking, waste, and storm water services, with the aim of improving water infrastructure.
The new government plans to set up an advisory board to work on the replacement legislation, which would allow councils to voluntarily form their own groupings and councilcontrolled organisations.
Gordon said the new policy mirrored the model put forward by Communities 4 Local Democracy (C4LD), which
council “to proceed with an unaudited consultation document but to continue to engage with Audit NZ on the assurance of the consultation material” for the LTP.
This is because the confirmed audit dates would result in a tight timeframe which the council was not satisfied with.
This move has also been enabled by the provisions in the legislation passing through Parliament.
against Three Water reforms.
He said no decision would be made without consulting with the community, which is likely to take place later this year.
The Waimakariri, Hurunui and Kaikōura district councils were all C4LD members.
Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said the Canterbury Mayoral Forum had been advocating for a regional approach to managing Three Waters for several years.
‘‘It was a proposal the Canterbury councils put to the previous Government early in the piece, but it was rejected.
‘‘We see it as the best outcome to achieve the scope and scale needed.’’
Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle said the repeal of the legislation is an opportunity ‘‘to start again’’.
‘‘We have a lot of work to do and the mayors need to get together to work out what is best for our communities and our region.’’
Mr Mackle and Mrs Black said there is already ‘‘a synergy between Kaikōura and Hurunui’’, with a number of shared services already in place including IT services, Civil Defence and building staff.
And there is ‘‘pretty tight network’’ across the three North Canterbury councils, including Waimakariri, they said.
The Waimakariri District Council also has a close relationship with its Greater Christchurch partners, the Christchurch City Council and the Selwyn District Council.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Wellington Water given ‘open cheque book’ with no accountability
An independent review into Wellington Water, the company which manages water assets on behalf of five of the Region’s councils, has identified several opportunities to improve its performance
Carried out by FieldForce4, the independent review was initiated by a resolution of Wellington City Council’s Long-term Plan Finance and Performance Committee. Agreement was reached to increase operating expense funding to Wellington Water by $2.3 million, contingent on the conducting a review of the company to enhance efficiency, identify cost savings, and improve transparency and reporting.
In its summary to elected members, FieldForce4 says there is insufficient contractual accountability assigned to Wellington Water from Wellington City Council.
“There is a lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities between the parties. Wellington Water views their role as a trusted advisor while Wellington City Council view Wellington Water’s role as an accountable contracted service provider.
“Without contractually clear accountability and performance measures, Wellington City Council has effectively given Wellington Water an open cheque book without the ability to manage the quality and efficiency of the services delivered, while all the risk and performance accountability sits with Wellington
City Council,” FieldForce4 says.
In its report, FieldForce4 found that maintenance costs had increased by 71% over the last three years. It also found that the level of reporting from Wellington Water was not sufficient for a water utility of its size.
The review also suggested that efficiencies could be found if there was more focus placed on performance measures and cost targets.
The report findings included suboptimal contract management between Wellington Water and its contractors, failure to ensure the performance and financial risk is proportionately shared between Wellington City Council, Wellington Water and contractors, and found that the Wellington Water reporting to the City Council fails to accurately capture and link network performance to the
physical work programme and associated budgets.
The recommendations include adding commercial service delivery performance indicators (KPIs) to the Management Service Agreement (between the council and Wellington Water) and the Alliance Agreement (between Wellington Water and contractor Fulton Hogan).
Wellington City Council Chief Executive Barbara McKerrow says the City Council accepts the recommendations from the report.
“With increasing service delivery costs resulting in a growing backlog of leaks, it’s important that we support Wellington Water to find efficiencies.
“Wellington City Council commissioned the review by consultants FieldForce4 who were engaged for their extensive global water utility and commercial experi-
ence.”
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau believes these recommendations could help improve the performance of the water network in Wellington.
“It’s essential that we ensure Wellington ratepayers’ money is going towards actually getting pipes fixed. We put a significant amount of funding into our water infrastructure, and as Mayor I want to be sure this is going exactly where it should be.
“We look forward to working with other shareholding Councils, mana whenua and Wellington Water to implement as many of these findings as possible for the benefit of our water network. Some of these changes will require time and be worked on as part of a new regional model for water delivery.”
Water infrastructure is a priority for Tory in the city’s upcoming Long Term Plan, she says.
“At my urging, officers have put forward a recommendation to fund our three waters (drinking, waste and storm water) by $1.1 billion, compared to $678 million in the 2021-2031 plan. This is a 65% increase and includes rolling out water meters as early as possible.”
BEX Asia 2024: Powering Innovation and Partnership in Asia's Built Environment
Join us for 3 days of Unlimited Learning, Business Networking & Sourcing at Southeast Asia’s Leading Built Environment Expo
SINGAPORE, 22 July 2024 – The Built Environment Expo Asia (BEX) 2024 is gearing up for a landmark return from 4 - 6 September at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. As the leading Built Environment Expo, it promises to be a dynamic hub that brings together industry professionals, thought leaders, and innovative companies shaping the future of
Asia's built environment. BEX Asia 2024 caters to the specific needs of the region’s markets, while also boasting a strong international presence. The event features dedicated pavilions like Ontario, Canada; China, and Singapore, alongside exhibitors from countries/ region including Japan, Korea, Denmark, Australia, France, Canada, Malaysia and Oman. “BEX Asia 2024 is a timely and crucial
platform for industry professionals in the region. This year's exhibition positions itself as the leading market intelligence platform for the built environment industry that presents the transformative trends that are reshaping the region. We look forward to witnessing advancements in robotics and prefabrication technologies, alongside the continued evolution of digital design solutions,”
said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Director, RX Singapore.
“BEX Asia will also foster a dynamic environment where participants can forge strategic partnerships and network with the vibrant startup community — ensuring they are positioned at the forefront of building a more sustainable and resilient future for our cities.”
A Hub of Innovation
BEX Asia 2024 serves as a central platform within IBEW for industry professionals from across the region to discover a wealth of cutting-edge and market-ready solutions for all aspects of the built environment ecosystem. This year's event will feature:
• New Innovations in Action: Uncover the cutting-edge solutions that are shaping the future of the built environment. Companies such as ebm-papst, for instance, are showcasing an IoTbased solution to regulate indoor air quality and energy efficiency in real time based on occupancy, outdoor conditions and other factors. Camfil will be highlighting the importance of proper restaurant ventilation, emphasising its benefits for health, business, and air quality management. Yitac will be launching a state-of-the-art system for ensuring optimal performance, heightened energy savings, and sustainability in air conditioning. Additionally, PestBusters will be showcasing their scientifically proven solution for eradicating termite colonies.
• Experience the Future of Building with Industry Leaders: Immerse yourself in a diverse array of groundbreaking solutions from leading companies through onsite product
demonstrations and successful projects implementations. This includes the latest advancements that have set a new benchmark for innovative sustainability solutions, zeroemission construction equipment, fully integrated facility services, and a variety of other fields integral to the built environment sector. Explore the exhibition floor through curated delegation tours led by experts or at your own pace.
smarter and more efficient solutions. Digitalisation and modern technologies such as AI emerge as powerful catalysts for change, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in both environmental responsibility and operational effectiveness. Daikin is passionate about leveraging these advancements by developing cuttingedge solutions for our industry partners. Events like BEX Asia 2024 provide a valuable platform
• Knowledge-sharing Opportunities: Gain insights from thought leaders and experts through informative masterclasses on the latest trends and technologies, such as “Revolutionising Building Management with Abound: The Future of Smart Solutions”, presented by Carrier and “AI in Construction: What's Possible?” delivered by Bimage Consulting.
• Startup Pavilions: Discover innovative construction workflow solutions from startups like Millipede. Additionally, explore the latest advancements from rising stars in robotics and automation, smart construction solutions, green energy, as well as machine learning-based predictive analytics platforms that are supported by HKSTP, ConTech Exchange, and IESINCA. “The built environment is evolving rapidly, demanding
to showcase these advancements and collaborate with industry leaders. We're excited to share our vision for the future of intelligent and sustainable climate control solutions, which includes iPlant Manager and the new MARUTTO — an integrated platform that gives unprecedented control over HVAC systems, no matter where they're at,” said Swen Tan, Senior Manager, Sustainability Lead, Daikin. Other Key Highlights
• SGBC Seminar: Explore firsthand the innovative advancements and practical solutions shaping sustainable building practices. Attendees will also earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points while learning from industry experts at the Singapore Green Building Council's dedicated seminar programme.
Register Today Registration for BEX Asia 2024, a cornerstone of the prestigious International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2024, is now open. Visit www.bex-asia.com for more information and to register.
The Expos will showcase the most comprehensive range of innovative products, services, solutions and the entire supply chain under one roof by local and international participants to trade visitors, potential buyers, policy makers, government officials, C-Level executives, business leaders, leading industry experts, top-tier public visitors and key decision makers from the region and beyond, making it a definitive power packed networking platform, where new projects and partnerships are initiated and visionary objectives are implemented.
Architecture and Urban Planning Expo - Oman’s first and only dedicated event focusing on Architecture and urban planning will showcase the latest technologies, products and services.
Architecture Section is an exclusive event where architects, designers, specifiers and property developers from the Sultanate of Oman and the Middle East region explore carefully selected innovative and inspiring products, materials and services for their projects. Some of the most revolutionary solutions will be presented in the Expo which will generate high interest among the architects and designers’ community.
The Urban Planning section will provide an unmatched platform for the urban and landscape design industry to secure new business in the Sultanate of Oman and the region. Key decision makers will meet local and international suppliers to explore business opportunities, and to source the latest landscaping,
Attend the Home and Building Expo in Oman this October
Exhibitors and visitors are invited to participate in the Home and Building Expo, co-located with the Architecture and Urban Planning Expo, which is the Sultanate of Oman’s premier bespoke B2B and B2C event to be held from 07 - 09 October 2024 at the Oman
infrastructure & urban development solutions and technological advancements.
There are diverse and cost-effective ackages to
Convention and Exhibition Centre, Muscat. Event website
ensure participation with assured ROI and exhibition booths to create a strong impact and presence at the event.
The event organiser also offers customised packages best suited to your organisation’s requirements and budget.
Creating a healthy workplace starts with a solid foundation for wellbeing – the overall physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social health of people. A positive culture, increased productivity, higher staff retention, and better health and safety outcomes are just some of the benefits that come from making wellbeing a key focus of an organisation.
Leading health and safety organisation Site Safe New Zealand is on a journey to work with the construction industry to shift the approach to wellbeing in the workplace and set people up for success with the tools and resources they need to support wellbeing.
Since the release of a 2019 research report conducted by Site Safe into suicide in New Zealand’s construction industry, there has been acknowledgement from industry that mentally healthy and well workplaces have benefits for both health and safety and business success.
“We know how important it is to destigmatise the idea of looking after ourselves, especially in our industries who have typically had more of a ‘toughen up’ attitude when it comes to our wellbeing,” says Brett Murray, Site Safe New Zealand Chief Executive.
“We already work with key partners like MATES in Construction and Hato Hone St John to provide resources and training courses focusing on mental health in the industry, but we knew there was more we could do to support our industry and members, and in particular
Setting up for success with a solid foundation for wellbeing
small organisations who don’t have the financial resources to invest in this area.”
This year, Site Safe has partnered with Ignite Aotearoa to give Site Safe members free access to their
are evidence-based, easy to access, flexible and affordable, with a focus on partnering with workplaces to enhance employee wellbeing.
Site Safe are also investing in the wellbeing of the industry by sponsoring a
online platform and a large range of mental health and wellbeing resources, information, and workshops.
Ignite Aotearoa is a social wellbeing enterprise backed by Emerge Aotearoa – one of New Zealand’s largest independent mental health and social service organisations. Ignite Aotearoa’s mental health and wellbeing offerings
number of one-on-one support sessions so members can try out one of the services offered by the platform. Ignite Aotearoa hosts over 100 different providers, including financial advisors, human resource consultants, occupational therapists, dietitians, social workers, counsellors, psychologists, and more.
“80% of our members are
small businesses who may not have ready access to tools and resources that support workplace wellbeing,” explains Murray. “We want to support our members to create a solid foundation for wellbeing by giving them access to a wide range of information and support that suits their needs.”
“Both our organisations have strongly aligned values,” says Murray. “Like us, Ignite Aotearoa believe New Zealanders should be able to access mental health and wellbeing support whenever they need it.”
By being proactive and getting support, employers can set a positive example for workers. Being open, honest, and free of judgement is a sure way to ensure people feel comfortable speaking up and ask for help when they need it.
To learn more, visit https://www.sitesafe.org. nz/news--events/news/ new-member-benefit-igniteaotearoa/
Access to exclusive guides & resources Show your commitment Discounts on Site Safe Discounts from well-known suppliers (Member App)
Invitation to member only events
Chemical safety relies on meaningful cooperation
Expanding government-industry partnerships to help business operators should be a no brainer. Inviting enquirers to read the regulations falls well short of educational expectations
Barry Dyer Chief Executive
Responsible Care NZ
Today, chemical suppliers and their customers continue to adjust to the Covid operational environment.
They struggle with supply chain delays, the loss of experienced staff, frustration with unanswered queries to risk-averse authorities, inflexible and prescriptive regulations, rising compliance costs, diminishing resources and increasing public chemical safety expectations.
While 130,000 businesses are reportedly captured by the Hazardous Substances and Major Hazard Facilities regulations, the official mantra of “600-900 persons seriously harmed each year by unwanted exposure to chemicals in their workplace” presumably applies to all of the country’s 530,000 workplaces.
Increasing community concerns about vulnerability to unwanted chemical exposure and damage to our fragile environment places additional pressure on both suppliers and users of the chemicals.
We all need to sustain and improve our quality of life and these products must be safely managed throughout their life cycle.
Downgrading the flawed but effective HSNO Certified Handler requirement has inadvertently undermined an invaluable capability.
The action deprived businesses, particularly SMEs, of an immediate and recognisable source of workplace chemical safety and compliance advice -- a safe chemical handling capability and emergency response knowledge – critical when a chemical incident occurs.
PCBUs and SMEs must now devise their own solutions to ensure employees are competent to safely handle the chemicals with which they work.
Chemical industry leaders are moving away from relying on lagging indicators of safety performance in favour of identifying safer work practices and work-
places, by responding to workers’ suggestions about improvements.
Conscientious business operators can add value by sourcing accurate, cost-effective workplace chemical safety advice and compliance tools from their suppliers, industry partners and Responsible Care NZ.
A proven strategy is government agencies collaborating with proactive industry associations to best achieve workplace safety aspirations. The problem is that SMEs rarely join associations.
However, they all obtain their chemical requirements from suppliers and can benefit from product stewardship advice and cost-effective industry compliance initiatives.
Responsible Care NZ extols less regulation in favour of enabling business operators to be increasingly self-sufficient, using cost-effective products and services such as site compliance assessments and specialist training.
The focus is keeping people safe around the chemicals we encounter every day by adding value to businesses.
Responsible Care is a global voluntary chemical industry initiative developed autonomously by the chemical industry for the chemical industry.
Chemical suppliers continue to help customers achieve workplace chemical safety aspirations through product stewardship initiatives.
To help solve the in-house chemical compliance dilemma in New Zealand, Responsible Care NZ delivers specialist and cost-effective Certified Handler standard training, complete with a certificate.
Responsible Care NZ site compliance assessments are non-threatening, effectively capturing and assessing chemical safety performance in a variety of workplaces.
+64 4 499 4311 info@responsiblecarenz.com www.responsiblecarenz.com
Micro infrastructure important for resilience
New
Zealand needs to shift to micro infrastructure to ensure electricity, water and waste systems remain connected during big weather events, a research student says
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter
Zainab Rizvi, a PhD student from the University of Auckland, is investigating how to make Gisborne’s energy system more resilient through micro infrastructures.
Ms Rizvi is looking into the plausibility of creating a shared energy system, where houses could have solar panels or other renewable energy sources within their homes.
The houses share the energy they create through a microgrid system, which would then supply energy for the community.
Ms Rizvi is part of Resilient and Sustainable Tairāwhiti (RASTR), a collaboration between Gisborne locals and Auckland researchers exploring ways to conduct community-led planning.
Micro infrastructure could be crucial during extreme weather events, said Ms Rizvi, who changed her research direction after seeing the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on Gisborne’s connectivity.
“This is what started our research . . . but then we realised the price of electricity will also go up over the next 10 years due to the transition from carbon-based electricity to renewable energy.
“We’re going to start to see energy poverty in New Zealand,” she said, attributing this to increased energy demand.
With the increase in electric vehicles, and government plans to switch to electric public transport, companies like Transpower (who are responsible for the national energy grid) and those who distributed power are needing to increase prices to expand and meet demand, she said.
“These movements are good . . . but it also means energy could become more expensive for people who can’t afford to switch to solar.
Her research was fuelled by the question: “What if the whole system was decentralised?.
“What if everyone had their own system to generate electricity using renewable energy sources and then shared it among everyone?
“Using this system will make New Zealand more resilient, with more capacity.
“The problem with our current grid network is when we disconnect, which
happens during an extreme weather event, we lose access to power and communications infrastructure.”
The risk of losing connectivity was highlighted by Transpower, who warned in February that there could be national power outages during winter due to higher demand.
Ms Rizvi explained the benefits of microgrids in a presentation at the Tairāwhiti Resilience Research symposium last month.
“Through the use of a controller, you can control your supply and demand by either connecting to the grid or running independently,” she said.
A software platform, JADE, allows the collection of historical data about water reservoir levels which can be used to inform decisions about electricity generation.
Microgrids had been adopted in Japan for building resilience while in India, they was being used as a small-scale energy source,
she said.
New Zealand needed to make sure the transition to renewable energies was “just” — one that everyone could afford, Ms Rizvi said. Her research is investigating how transitioning to micro-infrastructure/ microgrids would affect the national grid and if it would be feasible for Tairāwhiti.
“Climate change is coming so fast. We have to accept that and then start working towards adapting our energy methods.”
The director of Tairāwhiti regional leadership group Rau Tipu Rau Ora, Amohaere Houkamau, highlighted the importance of Ms Rizvi’s research.
“This project is not just research out of Auckland, but an economic development project for the entire region.”
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
A growing success in the Christchurch hotel market
Quest Apartment Hotels has opened its fourth Christchurch property as it continues to grow its portfolio in New Zealand and Fiji
Located at 93 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, Quest on Kilmore is opposite the Christchurch Town Hall. A quick walk to the restaurant strip of Oxford Terrace, Quest on Kilmore offers its guest’s a central location. As well as the 42 rooms, Quest on Kilmore has a meeting room that can easily cater to 20 people.
With Quest on Kilmore being its 43rd property in its New Zealand and Fiji portfolio, Quest Apartment Hotels (NZ) continues to defy economic challenges, Chief Operating Officer Adrian Turner says. This growth has been
planned for a while and there will be more to come, he says.
“The opening of Quest on Kilmore in Christchurch is the last of the four properties we have planned for Christchurch. It will support Quest Cathedral Junction, Quest on Manchester and Quest on Cambridge and provide much needed inventory for the Christchurch market especially since the opening of Te Pae, Christchurch’s new convention centre.
“We are already seeing many advance bookings from both our existing corporate clients as well
as our new clients to experience the Quest boutique apartment hotels.”
Operated by Aaron and Lucie Carpenter, Aaron was the Commercial Manager at Quest Corporate Office who had been with Quest for nearly 11 years and the couple are really looking forward to opening this new property.
“I have been with Quest since 2013. I was the Commercial Manager at Quest Corporate Office and when an opportunity came up of the possibility to take on a brand-new property, we knew we wanted to do that, and the rest is history,” says Aaron.
“I am trying to get my head around being on the other side of the business now and we have lots to learn but we are very excited for what is to come. We look forward to strengthening the Quest network in Christchurch and nationwide and working closely with the other Quest properties in Christchurch.
“We are currently in the process of getting set up and plan to provide a great stay with exceptional customer service to guests. We will be ready to welcome you very soon” says Aaron Carpenter.
New Zealand, we’ve got some exciting
STAY IN THE HEART OF CHRISTCHURCH
Our brand-new Quest on Cambridge is opening this November. Enjoy introductory rates from $135 per night for stays from 15th November 2023 to 14th January 2024*.
SUSTAINABILITY IS HERE TO STAY
We’ve replaced almost all single-use plastic shampoo, conditioner and bodywash bottles with dispensers - removing 3.68 tonnes of plastic out of circulation. We’re also recycling old soap bars into new ones together with Soap Aid. Find out more at soapaid.org