Kia ora , In the words of Maverick from Top Gun, 'It's classified. I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you.' But... This Friday all will be revealed at the 2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards Gala Dinner at the Lower Hutt Events Centre. We are beyond excited for this event and the celebration of our wonderful business community. We have 500 people attending the dinner and it will be a true celebration of everything that is great about business in the Hutt Valley and across our region. So a huge shout out to our sponsors and supporting sponsors who have made the awards come to life this year. Our Main Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
We could not do it without you so a big thanks. In this edition of the Hutt Valley Business Weekly:
CHAMBER UPDATES
2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards 2022 - Sold OutWe are officially sold out! Our region's business community is truly amazing. Follow us on LinkedIn here. Chamber Partners Win Big At Xero Awards New Zealand 2022We are absolutely thrilled to announce that PKF New Zealand has taken out the National Partner of the Year category at the 2022 Xero Awards. This recognises the hard work of Chamber Partners PKF Kendons and the rest of their network. The judges admired PKF’s commitment to developing their team's Xero knowledge and education through certification, ongoing training and the Xero Champions group. A stand-out achievement has been their continued focus on advisory services.
LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
Environment Court Grants RiverLink Resource ConsentsThe Environment Court has now granted final resource consents for RiverLink, clearing the way for the programme to proceed as planned. This is a great milestone for the RiverLink partners, and the wider RiverLink team, and represents more than 5 years’ worth of work covering implementation planning and design, community engagement, and more recently public hearings and submissions of evidence to the Environment Court. The consenting approach has been an innovative first of its kind, with Hutt City Council, Waka Kotahi, and Greater Wellington together applying for a joint application, with mana whenua opening and closing proceedings, submitting evidence, and support throughout the consent process. Delivering for the people Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai (Lower Hutt) has always been front of mind, and these final resource consents should give real confidence to the community that we are on track to deliver the critical flood protection work, transport improvements, and revitalisation of the Hutt central city, that make up the RiverLink programme. RiverLink will bring a wide range of benefits to the tens of thousands of Kiwis who live in, work in, and travel through Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai every day, and after many years of planning and development work, we’re really excited to finally be in a position to get on and deliver this project. The granting of these consents comes at a time when the project is building real momentum towards delivery. The RiverLink procurement documents were released on 13 October which marks the start of our formal process to select a preferred team of designers and constructors to partner with to deliver RiverLink. This procurement process is scheduled to close on 15 December, with a preferred proponent announced in March 2023. Early works are scheduled to start in early to mid-2023, with main construction starting in late 2023. The RiverLink programme is expected to be completed in 2027. You can find a copy of the final consent conditions here. Sustainability Stimulus Grant - Now OpenHave you got an idea for a sustainable project/initiative, but are lacking funding? Perhaps your business has some sustainability goals it's trying to work towards. Great news — the Sustainability Stimulus Grant is up and running for round two, and we’ve got funding to put towards projects that can benefit the Upper Hutt Community. Last year we funded all sorts of things — an innovative app, an indigenous reforestation project, water saving projects, food programmes, pest programmes, and a Centre of Regenerative Learning. What: Funding is available to projects/initiatives that support the goals of the Sustainability Strategy and benefit Upper Hutt. Minimum grant size is $5,000, up to 40% of the project cost. For some of the bigger projects, there may be opportunity to partner with other groups for additional funding. Who: Businesses, individuals and organisations may apply. There are a couple of restrictions: funding will not be allocated to government agencies (including schools), events or operational costs (eg marketing, training, insurances etc). When: Applications are open until 28 February 2023. Where: There are no restrictions as to where projects can take place, but applications must support the goals of the Sustainability Strategy, and benefit Upper Hutt. Why: To provide funding to assist projects which meet the goals of the Sustainability Strategy. How: Apply online.
National News
Fair Pay Agreements Bill Passes Into Law Despite Business ObjectionsThe Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) Bill has been passed into law, with the new bargaining system to take effect on 1 December 2022. This is despite business feedback. In a recent Chambers of Commerce survey, 68% of respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the “Fair Pay” law proceeding through Parliament and an even higher 78% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the Income Insurance proposal. The Fair Pay Agreement system brings together unions and employer associations within a sector to bargain for minimum employment terms for all covered employees in an industry or occupation. You can read more about the Fair Pay legislation here. You can read more aboyut employers rights and responsbilities here. So should employers be concerned about Fair Pay Agreements? Tony McKone, from Lower Hutt-based McKone Consultancy, a Specialist in Employee Relations and a Board Member of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce said ‘My view on this question is yes. All employers/business owners, particularly those in the hospitality, retail, and tourism sectors should be concerned about FPAs from the perspective that these are sectors that are more likely to be targeted by an FPA.’ Tony thinks that ‘it is likely that only 4 or 5 FPAs are likely to be negotiated per year and even then, the negotiation process will also likely take up to a year at least to conclude.’ You can read Tony’s thoughts through his recent Blogs
The Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce will continue to monitor this situation and bring you more information on Fair Pay Agreements as they are initiated and developed. Resource Management System ReformThe Government has announced they plan to repeal the Resource Management Act (1991) and enact new laws to transform the way we manage the environment. They have identified 5 objectives for the new system. These are:
You can read more about these 5 objectives here. How can you have your say into this significant change? Let us know what you think and how this might impact your business. We will make sure we feed this into the work as it develops. Email me at patrick@hvchamber.org.nz with any feedback you have. We will keep you informed about this change as it happens over the next few years.
EVENTS & TRAINING
Climate Change and Your Business When: Tuesday 29 November 2022 | 8am - 9:15am Climate change is here. In the Hutt Valley, we have had one of the wettest winters on record which has seen many hundreds of slips affecting households and travel. This session will provide information, tools and tips for a business thinking about their action to tackle climate change. Topics include:
Speakers from: EKOS, Hutt City Council, Kiwibank and Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce
MEMBER OFFERS
Get Your Corporate Christmas Gifts Sorted With Curated NZ Made Products This year, choose a gift for your team members and clients that shows your business cares… a beautiful gift box filled with artisan, eco-friendly, New Zealand-made products curated by Lower Hutt business Goody Goodness. By working with Goody Goodness you are not only supporting a small, eco-friendly business based in the Hutt Valley, you are also supporting local, sustainable and artisan businesses throughout New Zealand! If you would like to learn more please feel free to visit the Goody Goodness website here or email hello@goodies.nz directly. You are also welcome to visit the shop at 179 High Street, Hutt Central which is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Wrap Up 2022 At The Settlement Settle in for the rest of the year at The Settlement Upper Hutt and give coworking a go - on them. As a member of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, they’re inviting you to join them at The Settlement Upper Hutt as a hotdesker for the rest of 2022. Try hybrid working to round off the year and set yourself up for the best start in 2023. Come and go as you please anytime from 8:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday - whether you settle in for a coffee and an hour of work, or stick around for a whole day, the choice is yours. It’s also a great spot to meet your clients for a cuppa or bring the team together for a catch up. Register now and get involved. Say Thanks With An Eat My Lunch Gift Box Eat My Lunch are a catering choice that makes a big difference. For every product you buy, they give a lunch to a Kiwi kid in need. With 1 in 4 Kiwi kids living in poverty it's a little gesture with This year, the Eat My Lunch team have developed a beautiful range of gift boxes (for corporate, for him, for her, for Christmas) and have reached out to us to share these with our business community in mind. Gift boxes are the perfect way to let staff and customers know you appreciate them and the incredible work they do – especially given the three tough years New Zealanders have endured. Not only does every gift box sale help Eat My Lunch feed Kiwi kids, each box features top local brands, nationwide delivery, and ordering is easy through the website. You can view the range of gift boxes here: https://eatmylunch.nz/pages/gift-boxes. Want More Member Offers? To see a list of all our member's offers visit our Members Marketplace on our website to see a variety of deals we have from our members for both members only and anyone.
EMPLOYMENT
Gateway Coordinator OpportunitySt Bernard’s College is an integrated Catholic Year 7-13 school for boys. We are seeking applications for the position of Gateway Coordinator. The Gateway programme gives senior students access to structured work experience and integrates with school-based learning. You will be an integral part of the Support Staff team reporting directly to the HoD Pathways and Careers and indirectly, to the Head of Support Staff. You will need strong communication skills, enjoy working with young people, be able to network and engage with employers and industry professionals. This is a Part-Time position for 20 hours per week during the school term time. You are not required to work during school holidays and the role will finish when the senior students break for exam leave in Term 4. It is a fixed-term position, subject to a satisfactory Police vet. For a Job Description and an application form: Contact the College office or e-mail office@sbc.school.nz. To Apply: Please provide a cover letter, your completed application form and your CV to the School Secretary ngrant@sbc.school.nz. Applications close on Friday 25th November 2022 Do You Have A Role That You'd Like To Get Filled?If you have a job suitable for a student get in touch with our Education to Employment Coordinator Amanda Walters at amanda@hvchamber.org.nz or call 049399821 Thank you to all our Partners As always, special thanks to all our Members and Partners for your ongoing support. |