Mitre 10 In Trade Magazine - January 2015

JANUARY 2015

BUILDING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CONSUMER PROTECTION REGULATIONS NEW RULES REDUCTION TASKFORCE LOOK BACK, PLAN FORWARD KEEP YOUR SUBBIES SAFE

SEE INSIDE FOR CHANCES TO WIN GREAT PRODUCTS Offers open to account holders only Call 0800 M10 TRADE to find out more All prices and offers in this publication are valid from Thursday 1st - Saturday 31st January 2015 rfrom participating stores.

FOREWORD Building the customer experience Good business is generally a mix of different ingredients – attitude, management, structure, determination, economy, etc. However, one of the most important – and perhaps most under-rated – parts of developing and maintaining a successful company is based on relationships – with colleagues, with clients, with suppliers.

It’s something we’ve long recognised at Mitre 10 Trade and, as our Trade business has continued to develop and grow, those relationships become more and more important.

Like you, we recognise the importance of maintaining an open, honest and positive relationship with clients and customers.

Without that, any business wouldn’t have a reason to exist and it’s vital to constantly work on the link with the customer.

However, just as important is the connection between business and supplier – and that rapport is often something that’s overlooked. If you can work with your suppliers, instead of having them work for you, the entire dynamic becomes a constructive one, and that can only lead to positive things happening.

We’re always working with our suppliers for our customers, but that isn’t always directly restricted to what’s happening on the building site. We try to build relationships that are built on ‘customer experience’ and, every year, have a series of events that we can become more involved with our customers in a more relaxed, friendly, fun environment.

To get a better idea of some of the things we’ve done over the past 12 months, look at our article starting on page 2.

I’m very much looking forward to meeting more of you over the coming 12 months at more of these Mitre 10 Trade events.

Andrew Cochrane, General Manager Trade Mitre 10 (New Zealand) Ltd

CONTENTS 2

FEATURE

Building relationships through experiences

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SANTA PARADE

Auckland’s annual Santa Parade down Queen Street is always a massive event in New Zealand’s largest city with huge crowds lining both sides of the street taking part in pre-Christmas festivities. This year’s event saw a considerable presence of familiar Mitre 10 Trade orange-and-black colours amongst the traditional Christmas green and red decorations.

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SUPPLIER PROFILE Ampelite

8 10 12 13 14 15 16 19 20 21

LEGAL Fair Trading Act

STANDARDS NZ SITE SAFE NZ Keeping subcontractors safe

TRADES COACH Look back and plan forward

Mitre 10 Trade understands that creating unique customer experiences provides great memories and enables strong, sustained relationships to be built.

Ampelite NZ Limited is a privately-owned company which has been servicing New Zealand’s domestic and industrial natural lighting requirements since 1995.

On 17 June 2014, new provisions of the Fair Trading Act (the FTA) came into force. These provisions make it clear when businesses can and cannot contract out of their obligations under the FTA.

Consumer protection regulations

New consumer protection regulations for building work costing $30,000 and over have come into effect from 1 January this year.

If you are a principal on your building site, you need to know what your legal obligations are, as principals have a responsibility to ensure that those working for them under a contract are healthy and safe.

Trades Coach Andy Burrows says you should use the summer break to put your business into recovery mode, so it will be bigger and stronger than ever for 2015.

TRADE RACING

The final round of the UDC NZ V8 Ute Racing championship was held at Pukekohe Park Raceway in late November. A sixth place finish in the round ensured 10th place overall in the series for Mitre 10 Trade Racing driver James ‘Huggi’ Urquhart.

GOVERNMENT If you’ve struck property regulations and local rules that are Rules Reduction pedantic and unnecessary, have caused you frustration, or are just plain irrelevant, now’s your chance to play your part in Taskforce getting them changed.

The bracing requirement for monopitched roofs appears to BRANZ Monopitch roof be causing some confusion, so BRANZ has put together this month’s piece to clear up the issue surrounding NZS 3604:2011 bracing Timber-framed-buildings paragraph 10.3.4.

Mitre 10 Trade played a huge part in the success of this year’s MOVEMBER Movember campaign which ran for 30 hairy days. Stores, staff, suppliers and customers around the country all joined the Mitre 10 Trade network to contribute significantly to the funds raised.

APPRENTICE The apprentice; every builder was one but not every builder has one. Georgie Young says life would be that little bit more Tales from the entertaining and a little less stressful if they did. worksite

THE BACK PAGE

Stuff to win, points to earn Don’t miss the back page

Cover: Against the backdrop of Auckland’s Sky Tower, Mitre 10 Trade takes part in this year’s Santa Parade down Auckland’s Queen Street.

Volume 8, Issue 7 January 2015 Mitre 10 In Trade magazine is published 12 times a year in association with Mitre 10.

Managing Editor

Scott Wilson Phone: 021 725 061 Email: editor@M10magazine.co.nz

Contributors

Adrienne Jervis Kate Muirhead and Leo Farmer – Meredith Connell BRANZ Site Safe NZ Georgie Young Standards NZ Andy Burrows

Printer

Nicholson Print Solutions

Enquiries

ReFocus Media Ltd P O Box 21081 Flagstaff Hamilton 3256 Email: Info@refocusmedia.co.nz Refocus Media Ltd reserves the right to accept or reject all editorial or advertising material. No part of In Trade magazine may be published without the express permission of the publisher.

All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in In Trade magazine are not necessarily those of Mitre 10 or the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the suggestions of the contributors or conclusions that may be drawn from them. Although the publisher has made every effort to ensure accuracy, the reader remains responsible for the correct use and selection of any tools, materials and systems followed, as well as the following of any laws or codes that may apply.

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TRADE Rewarding our customers and building strong relationships As we all move into a new year with new opportunities and challenges the Mitre 10 Trade teams across the country would like to acknowledge and thank our customers and suppliers for their ongoing support.

We are keenly aware that relationships are a major part of our success and we work hard to build and maintain those relationships and reward our customers and our suppliers. By working very closely with our trade suppliers we are able to provide an excellent offering to our trade customers in-store, on site and on an informal, social basis. The informal and fun “customer experience” has played a key role in our ongoing success as we reward our customers around the country by

including them in various events, including the Bledisloe Cup Trip to Sydney, V8 race events around the country including Highlands Park 101 in Cromwell, Hampton Downs, Pukekohe, Taupo, the unique Mitre 10 Trade Racing Hotlap days and numerous other national sporting events. Stores build on this locally by hosting golf days, fishing, breakfasts and industry seminars.

Customers get a ‘wow’ experience and have a memorable time, and Mitre 10 stores develop strong, sustained relationships. The high quality events strengthen the ties between Stores and customers, as well as between Mitre 10 and our suppliers. All of which have an ongoing benefit to the end-user…and the most important person in the chain – the customer.

Looking back over the year ...

Once again Mitre 10 Trade hosted a very successful customer trip to the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney.

The numbers of attendees is growing every year and this year we were at 167, being a combination of Trade customers, Store representatives, Suppliers and our National Trade Team. The weekend started with an informal lunch in Darling Harbour with a few introductions and to acknowledge our suppliers for their fantastic ongoing support of this trip, plus to give some brief instructions for the weekend. This was a great opportunity to mix and mingle before heading out to other activities in the afternoon.

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Members of the Mitre 10 Trade trip to the Bledisloe Cup about to board the boat to the stadium.

TRADE The weekend provided a great mix of organised activities and free time, which included a day of go-karting or golf on the Friday, both of which were well received and an opportunity to enjoy the good company and the Sydney sunshine. On the Saturday, the cruise through the Harbour to the stadium and gold seating at the match rounded up a great weekend for all.

The ongoing support of our suppliers for this trip is crucial and this year we had 13 suppliers attending up from 9 suppliers in 2013, confirming the success of this event within the Trade supplier community. Our thanks go to Ampelite, Firth, Steel & Tube, Roofing Industries, Sika, Drymix, Tasman, PinkFit, MiTek, Winstone Wallboards, James Hardie, IBS and Golden Bay Cement for their ongoing support.

This trip is all about relationship building for the stores and their customers and judging by the comments on this year’s trip, that is certainly being achieved. The general consensus was that this was the best event to date so here’s looking forward to Bledisloe after 2015 which is already in the planning stages and an even better experience for Mitre 10 Trade customers.

Mitre 10 Trade colours out in force in Cromwell.

On a high at Highlands Park In November, Mitre 10 Trade played host once again at the Highlands Park 101 racing event in Cromwell – taking our place in the exclusive marquee in the prominent Mitre 10 Trade Corner. With a turnout of around 250 South Island customers, stores and suppliers this was a great day of racing for all. The event attracts big name drivers in Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins, V8s and other high performance cars, who compete over a weekend of intense racing. Twelve South Island Stores were represented, with a couple of them making this particularly memorable being an overnight trip with lots of fun had by all.

Paul Reeve (Trade Manager for both Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill and Mitre 10 Queenstown), said the event was a priceless opportunity for the Mitre 10 Trade team and its valued Trade customers to strengthen existing relationships.

Many introductions were also made on the day, creating the beginning of new relationships and future business opportunities.

“It was once again a fantastic relationship building exercise for us and everyone loved their Mitre 10 Trade Racing gear.”

Thank you once again to all our customers and we look forward to hosting you somewhere around the country in 2015.

The Porsche owned and raced

by Mitre 10’s Board Chairman Martin Dippie.

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TRADE Other Store Events The unique Mitre 10 Trade offering includes diverse events such Mitre 10 Trade Racing hot laps days in Manfield, Taupo and Pukekohe, as well as hosting at rugby matches in Wellington (All Blacks v South Africa) and Napier (All Blacks v Argentina). In addition, many of the stores offer golf days, race days and a range of other activities, including events such as trolley derbies or fishing days.

Another exciting calendar of customer experiences is set down for 2015 across New Zealand…and beyond.

This recent trolley derby in Tauranga attracted a strong Mitre 10 Trade entry

Mitre 10 MEGA Marlborough recently hosted their end of year golf tournament, a great day on and off the course!

It may not always go right, but at least it provides entertainment for the other competitors, as this golf day for Mitre 10 MEGA Invercargill shows.

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SANTA PARADE Trade on parade

Auckland’s annual Santa Parade down Queen Street is always a massive event in New Zealand’s largest city with huge crowds of around 250,000 lining both sides of the street taking part in pre-Christmas festivities.

This year’s event saw a considerable presence of familiar orange-andblack colours amongst the traditional Christmas green and red decorations as Mitre 10 Trade took part in the parade.

Mitre 10 Trade staff were joined by their families riding in a range of vehicles, from James ‘Huggi’ Urqhart’s V8 race ute and transporter, Glenn Torpey’s sprintcar right through to the Mitre 10 Trade sponsored boats from the Match Fishing League.

One of the grandstands was filled with 100 Mitre 10 staff and families from around Auckland, making the most of this community event.

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SUPPLIER

Seeing the light with Ampelite Ampelite NZ Limited is a privately owned company and has been servicing New Zealand’s Domestic and Industrial natural lighting requirements since 1995. Its owners, Henk and Ed Verhagen have been operating the wider Ampelite Group of Companies for more than 46 years, with sites in Australia and New Zealand. Because of this partnership, Ampelite are at the forefront of product research and development.

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The Ampelite NZ team - headed by CEO Kerry Andrew, a founding member of the company - is based in three sites across the country; Auckland head office, Palmerston North and Christchurch. This spread allows Ampelite to ensure that, no matter where our customers are, they can be supplied with the best service and quality product with ease. Ampelite is New Zealand’s leading manufacturer and supplier of natural lighting building products of which its product range is extensive, catering for small jobs around the home to large scale warehousing. Alongside this, Ampelite leads the way with innovative polycarbonate products and materials designed for unique environments including an exciting new product that we are looking to release into the market in 2015.

SUPPLIER

Ampelite commenced operations in New Zealand in 1995 and moved into a custom-built warehouse in 2000 to house its state-of-the-art production plant. The very best raw materials and latest resin technology are used in the manufacturing of all its fibreglass sheeting. The automated processing is controlled to ensure that each phase of manufacturing is absolutely consistent from batch to batch. The curing ovens are approximately 40m in length and the sheet is immediately ready to be trimmed and cut to length. This plant can produce some 30,000 lineal meters each month. Every current and almost all superseded roofing and cladding profiles can be supplied. Custom profiles are also made when commercially viable quantities are involved. In working with Architects and the Mitre10 Property team, Ampelite also supplies the natural lighting roof product for the new Mitre 10 MEGA stores around the country, which highlights the strong relationship it has formed with Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd.

of the Year for the last three years having achieved the highest recognition from its members in achieving the Trade Supplier of the Year Award in 2012,” Kerry says.

The leadership and culture of the business is also a proven success as the Ampelite team is made up of long-term employees. Team members from Customer Services through to Manufacturing, Operations, Sales & Marketing demonstrate a pride and passion for the business which complements our Service Offer, ensuring we remain at the forefront of supply to our customers.

Ampelite NZ Limited has an ISO 9002 accredited quality system in place that enables it to offer a consistently high level of service to its customers from its factory and offices in Auckland.

Ampelite also holds a Standard Licence for its range of industrial and premium industrial grade sheeting. All products are manufactured strictly in accordance with AS/NZS 4256 parts 1 & 3: 1994 which include light transmission, tensile strength, impact strength, profile thickness and squareness.

The company claims there is nothing scientific in its successes, stating that its service offer is based on the 4 P’s - Product, Price, Place, Promotion and supported by its Processes, People and Physical Evidence. Ultimately these principles allow us to meet Mitre 10’s performance metrics in delivering a quality product - In Full, On Time and In Spec. Our focus is on continuous improvement to ensure we are at the forefront of delivery and service to our customers.

”We know this formula is proven as we have been nominated as a Mitre 10 Trade Supplier 7

LEGAL

Contracting out of the Fair Trading Act – what you need to know

by Kate Muirhead and Leo Farmer

On 17 June 2014, new provisions of the Fair Trading Act (the FTA) came into force. These provisions make it clear when businesses can and cannot contract out of their obligations under the FTA. This has the potential to change the way you do business with other businesses.

What is the FTA? The FTA requires businesses to ensure the information they give to consumers is accurate, and ensures that important information is not withheld from consumers. This enables consumers to make informed choices about goods and services.

The general rule: no contracting out A business cannot enforce any agreement (or part of an agreement) with a consumer that attempts to release the business from its obligations under the FTA. This means that where a consumer signs or agrees to something that effectively waives their rights under the FTA, the business will not be able to hold the consumer to it. If the business is later found to have misled the consumer, they will have breached the FTA.

The exception: parties in trade The same rules apply to businesses in trade when contracting with each other.

However, recent changes to the FTA mean that businesses may now contract out of certain sections of the FTA where: • both parties to the agreement to contract out are in trade; • the agreement is in writing; and • it is fair and reasonable for them to do so.

When is it “fair and reasonable” to contract out?

The “fair and reasonable” test is designed to help stop weaker parties to an agreement from losing their protections under the FTA. Whether it is fair and reasonable for a business to contract out will depend on a number of factors including: • what is the agreement about?

• how valuable are the goods or services or interest in land?

• did one party have more bargaining power than the other when the contract was being signed?

• was each party able to negotiate the terms of the contract?

• was one party required to either accept or reject the agreement on the terms and conditions set down by the other party?

Kate Muirhead

• did the party wanting to rely on the contracting out clause know they were making a misrepresentation that would have breached the Act?

Kate Muirhead is a solicitor in the commercial litigation team at Meredith Connell. Kate’s practice encompasses all forms of commercial litigation and has particular expertise in competition law and other regulatory issues.

• did either party get legal advice?

You can contact Kate on (09) 336 7533 or by email at kate.muirhead@meredithconnell.co.nz

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If, after considering these criteria, a court decides an agreement to contract out is fair and reasonable, the contracting out clause remains valid. This means that neither party to the agreement can take action against the other for breaching the FTA. This is an important change to the FTA. It is important to remember, however, that the Commerce Commission can still take action against a business for breaching the FTA, even if a contracting out clause applies to the agreement.

LEGAL

What can a business contract out of?

Assuming both parties agree, and it is fair and reasonable to, businesses can contract out of prohibitions in the FTA against: • misleading and deceptive conduct generally; • unsubstantiated representations; • false or misleading representations; and • false or misleading representations in connection with the sale or grant of land.

A business cannot contract out of the prohibition against representations liable to mislead the public.

What does this mean for me?

You should consider whether or when it would be useful for your business to contract out of its FTA obligations when dealing with other businesses.

Where you think there would benefit from contracting out of the FTA, consider whether to include contracting-out clauses in your business-to-business sales agreements and terms of trade. The logical place to do this is in any standard “entire agreement” clause. However, you must take care to specifically consider in each case whether it is appropriate to keep the contracting out provision in place.

What that means is there is no ‘one size fits all approach’ to contracting out of the FTA. The FTA gives important protections, and you should consider carefully when entering into any commercial contract whether maintaining those protections would be to your own advantage. You also need to carefully consider whether contracting out of the FTA is appropriate in all the circumstances – getting those circumstances wrong might mean that a Court would not uphold the contracting out provision.

It is also important to note that you cannot contract out of the Commerce Commission’s right to prosecute for breaches of the FTA. The recent changes made to the FTA include significant increases to the penalties available under the FTA. If a court finds that the FTA has been breached, it may fine companies up to $600,000 and individuals up to $200,000. A District Court may impose a management banning order against anyone convicted of FTA offences on two or more separate occasions within a ten year period. As the name suggests, these order ban an individual from being a director of or in any way managing an incorporated or unincorporated body that carries on business in New Zealand.

If you have any doubt about the application of the FTA, you should first seek legal advice.

Leo Farmer Leo Farmer is an associate in the commercial litigation team at Meredith Connell. His practice encompasses all forms of commercial litigation, and he has particular expertise in commercial disputes, shareholder disputes, and competition and regulatory issues.

You can contact Leo on (09) 336 7560 or by email at leo. farmer@meredithconnell.co.nz

TRANSFORM YOUR SUMMER

Enhance the natural beauty of wood UV PROTECTION EASY TO RECOAT WALK ON SURFACES WATER REPELLENT RESISTS MOULD AND FUNGUS

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Z N S D R A D N A T S

Standard to help comply with new regulations for building work “The standard is written in ‘plain English’ and was developed by a committee with a broad and balanced representation of stakeholder interests including regulators, industry, and consumer advocates. It is intended to be a fair and clearly understood contract that sets out rights and responsibilities for all parties.”

New consumer protection regulations for building work costing $30,000 and over have come into effect from January 1 this year.

Acting Chief Executive of Standards New Zealand, Michelle Wessing, said the New Zealand standard 3902 Housing, alterations and small buildings contract will help meet the new regulations and makes the building process smoother and easier for homeowner and builder.

“NZS 3902 has been improved and now contains an electronic Microsoft Word form that can be filled in by all parties to the contract, she says. “The new contract agreement in electronic form updates and replaces the existing Section 3 form in NZS 3902.”

The Building Amendment Act 2013 introduced changes to further protect consumer rights and remedies for residential building work, including mandatory requirements for residential building contracts for work above $30,000 to be in writing and to contain certain information.

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Some of the new rights and remedies contained in the Building Amendment Act 2013 are required to be prescribed in regulations, which are came into force on January 1.

Michelle Wessing said NZS 3902 provides a standard form of building contract agreement suitable for owners who are making their own building arrangements, whether it be building a new home, carrying out renovations, or altering an existing home.

“The standard is written in ‘plain English’ and was developed by a committee with a broad and balanced representation of stakeholder interests including regulators, industry, and consumer advocates. It is intended to be a fair and clearly understood contract that sets out rights and responsibilities for all parties.”

The form must be used in conjunction with NZS 3902.

TRADE DEAL

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• Self-leveling rotary laser enables single person to handle most leveling applications • Complete leveling solution includes all tools and accessories to start leveling out of the box

While stocks last – SKU: 245762

74

GST excl

$899 GST incl

• Accurate up to ±1/4 in. at 100 ft. (horizontal and vertical) • Full selection of beam visibility enhancements variablespeed selection and variable scan angles for maximum visibility in light conditions • Disturbance monitor ensures level is maintained by warning the user of position changes or shock • Great solution for laser tools needs

SITE SAFETY Contractor Management – ensuring your subbies are safe Are you a principal on your construction site?

Do you know what your legal responsibilities are for managing subcontractors - businesses?

Principals have a responsibility to ensure that those working for them under a contract are healthy and safe.

In construction, a principal is someone who engages anyone to do paid work using a contract. The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 requires principals to take ‘all practicable steps’ to ensure the health and safety of all (sub) contractors who carry out work of any kind throughout an entire project.

The Health and Safety in Employment Act is going to change in 2015. A new term introduced will be – ‘Persons Conducting Business or Undertaking’ (PCBU). PCBUs will have the primary duty of care for health and safety for workers – including subcontractors. PCBUs will also be required to coordinate with other PCBUs to ensure the management of health and safety for an entire project, end to end.

Whatever the situation, effective information is critical and the principal and contractor should share and discuss risks and hazards involved in the work and how health and safety will be managed.

Where to start…

• evidence of on-site activity (such as site meetings and procedures) • arrangements for discussing health and safety matters with people on site eg. setting regular toolbox safety meeting times • evidence of incident and accident reporting and investigation • evidence of health and safety performance being monitored eg. Incident and accident reports, audits and inspections • evidence of information being shared with other contractors, employees, the client and designer/adviser eg. activity reports • evidence of how visitor access is controlled, including such things as delivery of materials eg, sign-in register.

3. Monitor your subbies Health and safety plans of subcontractors should be monitored by their principal until the project is completed.

To successfully manage your legal responsibilities, communicate and monitor your expectations and provide feedback and recognition.

1. Induct your subbies Where appropriate, your subcontractors and their employees should be given induction training regarding the workplace or site, and the opportunity to ask about hazards and risks. The nature of induction training will vary according to the types of hazards and associated risks. In some cases, basic induction training will be sufficient. Make sure you record inductions given.

2. Ask your subbies for information and evidence of their competency Principals can start by asking their subcontractors to provide a well-developed site-specific health and safety plan (SSSP) with evidence of it being used – for example: • evidence of competency eg. training matrix/register 12

Site Safe’s free downloadable Site Specific Safety Plan (SSSP) has many helpful registers and forms available to use – head to www.sitesafe.org.nz/sssp to download, or contact 0800 SITE SAFE to order a hard copy. For help filling out a SSSP, attend Site Safe’s ‘Advanced Passport – Site Specific Safety Planning’ training course.

H C A O C S E D A R T

Time for forward-focused reflection.

A gym trainer will tell you that the way to put on muscle in the long term is to lift heavy weights and then rest for a couple of days between sessions. Lifting heavy weights causes micro tears in the muscle. The rest period is where the body goes to work repairing the muscle, making it bigger and stronger in the process.

What does that have to do with business? We are now starting 2015. Chances are you worked hard on your business last year and you are feeling a bit tired and strained. I know I am. Use the summer break to put your business into that recovery mode, so it will be bigger and stronger than ever throughout the rest of 2015. As tempting as it is, don’t just blob out, eat and drink yourself to a standstill every day and totally forget about the business. Sure do a bit of that, but use the time to do a bit of forward-focused reflection on how the previous year has been for you, what lessons you learned and how you want aspects of your business to be different throughout 2015, and beyond.

I have a great little worksheet that will take you an hour or so to complete and gets you to ask yourself some simple questions about the current and future state of your business. If you want a copy just drop me an email at andy@tradescoach.co.nz and I will send it to you immediately. Then put some specific actions in place next year and just watch those goals fall into place.

Here’s to a great 2015!

Andy Burrows Andy Burrows has been a professional business advisor, mentor and coach since 2006.

He specialises in working with the owners of constructionrelated businesses to build systems and profitability into their operations.

TRANSFORM YOUR SUMMER

Enhance the natural beauty of wood UV PROTECTION EASY TO RECOAT WALK ON SURFACES WATER REPELLENT RESISTS MOULD AND FUNGUS

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TRADE RACING

Final round proves eventful Image courtesy of Geoff Ridder and Great South Photography.

With a reverse marble draw beginning the final day, ‘Huggi’ found himself sitting in pole position. From the second the green light flashed, Sam ‘Bazza’ Barry was on ‘Huggi’’s tail and could not be fought off. After five laps of close action, Bazza sneaked through a gap and held on for the win with a charging ‘Huggi’ still right on his tail.

James ‘Huggi’ Urquhart was rapt to qualify as the final round’s fastest Holden driver.

The final round of the UDC NZ V8 Ute Racing championship was held at Pukekohe Park Raceway in late November and, with six Fords and five Holdens on the grid scoring a podium wasn’t going to be easy.

Not only did this weekend celebrate a ute racing finale, but also polished off 30 days of Mo growth and Mo’raising for the annual Movember campaign. Mitre 10 Trade has been a major sponsor of Movember for the past two years, and the Mitre 10 Trade Racing team was fully behind a bit of Mo growing too. Thanks to #132 in NZ, Ben Littler and his multicoloured Mo’s, the Mitre 10 Trade Racing team collectively raised $870, to add to the thousands collected by Mitre 10 staff, customers and supplier across the country.

The moustached Mitre 10 Trade Racing team opened the weekend with two very positive practice sessions that driver James ‘Huggi’ Urquhart managed in amongst typically unpredictable Auckland weather.

Day two opened with qualifying where ‘Huggi’ wrestled the Mitre 10 Trade Racing machine to the second-fastest time, and fastest Holden for the third round in a row. Unfortunately the same success did not carry through to race one, where a launch from P10 to P6 off the grid was cut very short after an avoidable tap from Glen ‘Coyote’ Collinson smashed the rear right rim and sent ‘Huggi’ to the pits.

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The final race saw ‘Huggi’ in sixth position on the grid and, after eight furious laps, slowly sifting through the pack and scooting around the outside corners, ‘Huggi’ got caught up in a late brake from Mike ‘Buzz’ Lightfoot and sent him into the back corner of a soon-to-be spinning Coyote. A debatable compulsory drive-through penalty put ‘Huggi’ to the back of the pack, giving him minimal time to recover any substantial ground.

The result saw ‘Huggi’ finish the round in sixth place and secured him 10th spot in the 19-strong field for the overall position in the 2014 NZ V8 Ute Racing.

What truly made the weekend memorable was not only Ben’s take on a Movember finale with the bright orange Mo, but also the superb corporate hospitality put on by Mitre 10 Trade and ORIX New Zealand in their prime position on the hill. With a coldy in hand, first-class lunch and prime viewing, it couldn’t get much better for the Mitre 10 customers attending.

‘Huggi’ and the Mitre 10 Trade Racing team would like to extend their infinite gratitute to all the fans that have supported us through the good and bad this year. In addition, this season would never have been possible without our great crew of Kerry, Mikey, Gracey, Paul, Brody and Ben and the others who have helped along the way.

And finally, thanks to our corporate partners for their endless support through thick and thin; Mitre 10 Trade, ColourWorx, New Balance, CRC Industries, BOC Gases and Lucas Oils.

GOVERNMENT

Next steps for Rules Reduction Taskforce If you’ve struck property regulations and local rules that are pedantic and unnecessary, have caused you frustration, or are just plain irrelevant, now’s your chance to play your part in getting them changed.

Local Government Minister Paula Bennett recently launched the Rules Reduction initiative, opening the way for people to submit examples of these frustrating rules, which may result in them being changed.

“People can now head to www.govt.nz/rulesreduction, to start telling us what bugs them when it comes to loopy rules and regulations,” says Mrs Bennett.

“I’m also pleased to announce the Rules Reduction Taskforce will be jointly chaired by Jacqui Dean MP, Parliamentary Private Secretary for Local Government, and Michael Barnett ONZM, Chief Executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

“Both Jacqui and Michael bring with them a strong understanding of the local government and business sectors and will be well placed to guide the Taskforce in its work to cut red tape.”

The remaining members of the Taskforce will be appointed soon, and will include central and local government experts, and specialists from the building and trades sector, with further announcements to come on the timeline for the Taskforce’s work.

“I’m asking property owners, builders, tradespeople and businesses who have experienced the issues caused by irrelevant or unnecessary regulations, to help draw these to our attention,” says Mrs Bennett.

The information gathered will inform the Taskforce, which will consider submissions and ultimately recommend any necessary changes.

“Central and local government need regulations which are effective, and help get the job done – not get in the way.

Regulations that frustrate property owners and business people

“I’m asking property owners, builders, tradespeople and businesses who have experienced the issues caused by irrelevant or unnecessary regulations, to help draw these to our attention,” says Mrs Bennett. also suck up councils’ precious resources in administration time and effort.”

“We need to hear from New Zealanders about examples that have got in the way of their building, renovation, landscaping, and home improvement plans, so that we can cut the red tape where it needs to be cut, to help them get on with the job.”

The submission form can be filled out online at www.govt.nz/ rulesreduction Facebook (facebook.com/cutredtapenz) and Twitter (twitter. com/CutRedTapeNZ) will be used to spread the word and encourage submissions via the online form to the Taskforce.

You can also download the submission form, fill it in and posting it to: Rules Reduction, The Department of Internal Affairs, P O Box 805, Wellington 6011.

Or you can scan and email your completed submission form to rulesreduction@dia.govt.nz 15

BRANZ

Bracing for monopitch roofs

By Alide Elkink, Freelance Technical Writer, Wellington JUDGING BY THE NUMBER OF CALLS TO THE BRANZ HELPLINE, THERE’S SOME CONFUSION AROUND BRACING REQUIREMENTS FOR MONOPITCH ROOFS. HERE, WE SORT OUT THE ISSUE. The bracing requirement for monopitch roofs is addressed in NZS 3604:2011 Timber-framed buildings paragraph 10.3.4.

Simply stated, it requires that bracing for monopitch roofs must comply with paragraphs 10.3.2 (for light roofs) or 10.3.3 (for heavy roofs), but it also includes an exemption.

Raked wall frames Paragraph 10.3.4 does not require roof plane diagonal bracing if: • the wall frames extend and are braced up to the underside of the rafters, and • the ceiling lining is attached directly to the underside of the rafters.

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This will only apply where the wall frames are raked (see Figure 1).

Level top plates and trusses Where the wall frames have level top plates and the roof framing consists of trusses or a strutted roof, either roof plane or roof space bracing is required in accordance with paragraphs 10.3.2 and 10.3.3 for light and heavy roofs (see Figure 2).

In this case, the highest end of the trusses is considered the ridge line and requires at least two braces over its length.

Figure 2 shows both roof plane bracing and roof space bracing as alternatives.

BRANZ

IMPORTANT The 1st of January 2015 sees significant changes to the Building Act and Regulations that will affect EVERY builder. The changes include new responsibilities including the need to provide a written building contract for all jobs over $30,000.

BUILDERS ARE YOU READY?

The timing of these changes is not ideal as they require builders to hit the ground running as of the 1st of January 2015. We’re sure you’d rather be fishing than running around like a headless chicken sorting out paperwork. The GOOD NEWS is that Certified Builders already have a suite of contracts ready to go and a help-line available to all members for a minuscule cost. If you’re already a member you’ll be

and if you’re not don’t worry, simply give us a call and we’ll help ensure you don’t hit any unnecessary speed bumps come the new year. To join the Certified Builders team visit www.certified.co.nz or call us today on 0800 237 843

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WAVE21689 M10

SWEET AS

• The 319 High Viz Frame has a steel tube core with a comfortable plastic coating. The bright orange coating makes it ‘stand out’ on busy worksites or in workshops.

• The 325 A is a truly unique professional hacksaw frame.

Ergonomically designed with very high blade tension for straight, accurate cutting and exact kerfs. The 325 has a spring-loaded mechanism for quick blade changes An added benefit of all Bahco hacksaw frames – they come fitted with Sandflex Bi-metal virtually unbreakable and shatter-proof hacksaw blades. These precision-ground blades come in a range of tooth configurations to suit all your metal cutting jobs. Sandflex blades offer extreme cutting performance and wear resistance.

Bahco – In professional hands since 1886.

A sight for saw eyes

Bahco Tools manufacture a full range of hacksaw frames with a choice of models to suit the serious DIY’r to the professional user. All Bahco hacksaw fames are “high tension”, which means the blades are held firmly during the cutting process, giving an accurate cut wit the minimum off effort. There are nine models in the range with two standouts:

MOVEMBER

Another strong Movember performance For 30 wild nights and hairy days you fought the good fight. You rallied the troops and united under the Movember flag to stand for change. For that Mitre 10 Trade and Movember sincerely thank you.

Mitre 10 Trade got heavily involved in this year’s Movember campaign, with stores, customers and suppliers all playing a huge part in making the Mitre 10 Trade network one of the largest (again) in the country.

A number of functions at stores around New Zealand really highlighted just how much the wider Mitre 10 Trade family has got behind this annual fundraising event for men’s health, and it showed, with the Mitre 10 Trade team (led by General Manager Mitre 10 Trade, Andrew Cochrane) contributing significantly to the cause. Individually, Andrew was named as New Zealand’s highest individual fundraiser, bringing in $14,370.

As a group, Mitre 10 Trade also topped the fundraising table with the Mitre 10 Trade Bros and Sistas named New Zealand’s Highest Team Fundraiser ($37,296) and the Mitre 10 Trade Challenge network bringing in $41,306 to become New Zealand’s Highest Network Fundraiser.

“Movember is such a worthy cause. It’s been a really positive experience to be involved in again this year.

Working in the building industry where most of our customers, suppliers and colleagues are blokes, it has such a great alignment with Mitre 10 Trade.” says Andrew Cochrane, General Manager Mitre 10 Trade.

“The amount of money generated by the Mitre 10 Trade community reflects the amazing support we have had from stores, staff, customers and suppliers and, while it’s been an honour to be named as the leading fundraisers in various categories, the real success comes in lifting the awareness of men’s health and doing what we can to bring in some money to help the cause and we have such a fun time doing it too.”

Throughout New Zealand, more than 12,000 signed up to change the face of men’s health and, while New Zealand is now into its ninth year of Mo-ing, to date these Mo Bros and Sistas have raised more than $1.2 million with funds still rolling in.

A big thank you to those who grew, those you donated and those who did something positive towards their or someone else’s health. You are part of a special community who are changing the face of men’s health one Mo at a time!

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APPRENTICE

Perserverance pays off The apprentice; every builder was one but not every builder has one. And I’m darn sure, if they did, life would be that little bit more entertaining and and a little less stressful.

It takes a good sense of humour and perseverance, that’s for sure. But by the end of it hopefully, you haven’t just learnt a trade, you’ve mastered it.

At one point I was one of three young apprentices on our site and there were a few well repeated lines; “oh yea, I forgot” or “whoops, I didn’t see that”, “arrr boss, you might want to come and have a look at this”; It can get a pretty chaotic.

It’s an awesome learning system using visual, audio and hands-on learning technigues to make sure we are creating competent builders. But the learning never stops, there’s always room for improvement, even in tasks as simple as digging holes.

I think the greatest thing I’ve learned so far is that careful thinking and hard work will solve nearly all your problems.

It’s a positive “I’ll make it work” attitude that’s getting me through my apprenticeship and it will get me through the rest of my life.

Au revoir people Georgie Young

One day Dale was pulling his hair out trying to find his earmuffs, swearing he left them hanging up. So we all start looking and couldn’t find them anywhere. After a while someone noticed that they were hanging on my pinny behind my back.

Somehow they got caught there and I’d been walking around with them bouncing around my waist. Geez, apprentices.

When I first started, I just had no idea. I don’t know how Dale did it, or well, still does it. So many nails went askew, there was more steel than timber in the framing.

“Its just practice George,” he’d say. “You’ll get it, just take your time and aim your nail gun”, as I’d take a breath and hold it and aim my gun, fully concentrating on the task at hand. The air would stay still as Dale watched me with anticipation. I’d pull the trigger and “crack”, the nail’s left the gun and pierced the nog....and.... gone through the other side. Whoops, missed again.

About this time last year i was thinking that this was all too hard, that there was too much to learn and that I was never going to get it all. But my BCITO books really helped because it broke all the parts of carpentry in to small bite-size sections that I can complete at my own pace. For example, if we were putting Gib up in a few days, I can read through my interieor linings sections and other references and then go to work and apply what I’ve learnt. Then, when I’m ready to get signed off in interior linngs, my training advisor, Pete, will go through my paperwork and throw me tough questions to test my knowledge.

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Georgie Young is a BCITO apprentice and works for Sheffield Construction on Waihake Island

WIN ONE OF THREE

MITRE 10 TRADE BRANDED GENUINE VICTORINOX SWISS ARMY KNIVES. Answer the following question and go in to win one of three Mitre 10 Trade branded genuine Victorinox Swiss Army Knives.

Question: How much did the Mitre 10 Trade Challenge network raise for this year’s Movember campaign?

Email your answer to m10trade@mitre10.co.nz with the words ‘January competition’ in the subject line and you’ll go in the draw to win.

You must include your photo, your name, company name, physical address, daytime phone number and the name of the store you hold an account with.

All entries must be received by 5pm on Monday February 2nd, 2015.

Conditions of entry: You may enter only once/ Prize(s) are as outlined. Prize(s) are non-

refundable, non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash. The winner(s) will be notified by phone or email. Employees of ReFocus Media Ltd Ltd, Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd, suppliers of goods to Mitre 10 and their immediate families and agencies are not eligible to enter. By entering this contest, you consent to the use of your name in all matters related to this contest, including any advertising or publicity without further compensation. Results of this promotion will be published in a later issue of Mitre 10 In Trade magazine. Prices that may be quoted in this promotion were accurate recommended retail prices at the time of publication. ReFocus Media Ltd and Mitre 10 (NZ) Ltd accept no responsibility for any loss or damage incurred from the use of these products.

THIS PUBLICATION IS RECOGNISED

BY THE BUILDING AND HOUSING GROUP AS CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THE SKILLS MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LICENSED BUILDING PRACTITIONER SCHEME. If you are a Licensed Building Practitioner, cut out and safely retain this panel with your skills maintenance literature for future reference and audit confirmation.

Ref. In Trade Vol 8, Issue 7 January 2015

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