dec 2013 january 2014

InHouseTHE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF CERTIFIED BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND

DEC/JAN 2014NEW ZEALAND’S MOST QUALIFIED BUILDERS

WIN MORE PROJECTS FROM YOUR WEBSITEPAGE 38

PREMIUM COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTIONPAGE 22

LOOKING FORWARD TO CERTIFIED PLANSPAGE 8

MERRYCHRISTMAS!

HANG YOUR BOOTS UP TEAMAND ENJOY A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY

ContactFarming House 102 – 104 Spring Street PO Box 13405, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141 Phone: 07 927 7720 | Freephone: 0800 CERTIFIED Fax: 07 927 7721 | Email: [email protected] www.certified.co.nz

INHOUSE | DEC/JAN 2014 1

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Certified Builders Association

National Support Office will close at 1pm on Tuesday 24th December. The office will reopen

on Monday 13th January 2014.Orders over the breakPlease have any stationery and/

or building contract orders in by

Monday 23rd December at 5pm

so we can get them out to you before we shut down for the Christmas break.

OFFICE CLOSURE

CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUEMessage from the Chair 1

From the Operations Desk 3

Association News: 2014 Update 5

Certified Builders Conference 2014 6

Certified Plans 8

Feature: Housing Affordability 10

Around the Regions 12

Feature: Vodafone 15

Feature: Article 9, Leaky Buildings 16

Feature: Beacon Pathway 18

Feature: Skills Maintenance Update 21

Feature: Centrespread - Savory 22

Feature: Employment & Environmental Law 27

ITAB 28

Association News 37-41

Message from the Chief 45

ContactFarming House 102 – 104 Spring Street PO Box 13405, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141 Phone: 07 927 7720 | Freephone: 0800 CERTIFIED Fax: 07 927 7721 | Email: [email protected] www.certified.co.nz

I can’t believe that it’s the end of the year already. 2013 has certainly flown by. I have had a great twelve months representing you as Chairman. Not only have I met a whole bunch of new people from apprentices to politicians but, travelling around the regions, I’m happy to report that our Association is in good heart. Even though workloads are still quite variable, the membership is generally positive looking towards next year.

Now that our Homeplans scheme is over the line let’s get stuck in and get it humming. I know that it will open up a whole range of new opportunities for all of you who have joined up. The latest ToolBox roadshow has received rave reviews and we look forward to the next one early in 2014.

On that note, it is the time of the year for acknowledgments. To Buster and Graeme for making the ToolBox meetings such a huge success. To my fellow board members for their support and contribution this year. To Grant and the team at National Support Office, we do appreciate your sterling efforts. To the Presidents and their committees for their continued hard work, and to all of our members for keeping the faith. I look forward to working with you all next year.

I know that there is a lot of negativity around at the moment with regard to our industry but it is important to remember that, as Certified Builders, you have the tools and the support to deal with most of the contentious issues that are arising. As New Zealand’s Most Qualified Builders we definitely can overcome the ever-increasing array of hurdles being thrown up in front of us and continue to do what we do best. Some of the greatest opportunities emerge from unexpected quarters. Make sure you grab them.

But for now Christmas is upon us so let us down tools, clean out the ute, relax and enjoy the holidays. Wherever you go and whatever you do, stay safe and I’ll catch up with you in the New Year.

Cheers

Dave BrownChairman

2 INHOUSE | DEC/JAN 2014

CBA INSURANCES

Member Advisory: Recent Spate of Tool Thefts!In the last week we have had three reports of members having their tools stolen from locked shipping containers.

“My van was parked in the home drive, and next morning the window was broken and my tools were stolen.”

It’s important that your valuable equipment and tools are securely locked away, using padlocks and chains that can’t be cut off. Any storage unit should also be alarmed.

Make sure you have a record of what you own, and take photos of it all too, just in case.Those guys with tools insurance through CBA Insurances will get brand new tools to replace their stolen ones, with no limit per item. In addition to theft the policy also covers your tools & equipment for accidental damage, out and about, in your vehicle, on site and at home.“Someone left my laser level on the ground behind my ute, I reversed over it and now it doesn’t work anymore.”

If you do get broken into, with tools insurance from CBA Insurances you could be up and running again the same day.

$10,000 tools cover can cost as little as $600 per year.*For more information or a quote contact the team at CBA Insurances on 0800 237 843 (press option 1) or email Gwenda: [email protected].

CHRISTMAS OPERATING HOURS: The Insurance & Guarantees offices will be closed from midday on Christmas Eve and open again on Monday 13th January. For urgent enquiries during the Christmas period please contact Jim on 0274 505 528 for Insurance and Keryl on 0274 937 634 for Guarantees.

DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT COVER IN PLACE? Ring CBA Insurances for a quote for our Essential Builders Pack:

LIABILITYPUBLIC LIABILITY + LBP + faulty workmanship + adviceSTATUTORY LIABILITYERRORS & OMISSIONS (E&O) INDEMNITY

COMMERCIALVEHICLESCONTRACT WORKS INSURANCE (project or annual)TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Other cover is available, including all commercial and private/domestic policiesCall Gwenda on: 0800 237 843 e: [email protected]

*Conditions apply.

3INHOUSE | DEC/JAN 2014

ASSOCIATION NEWS: From the operations desk

Are we there yet? 619 DAYS

Jason McClintock – Operations Manager

The Licensing Building Practitioner scheme has had twenty months to bed itself in and iron out the crinkles, so just how well are we getting on?

Kicking off on a positive note skills maintenance has practitioners understanding knowledge is the best form of risk management. Changes to the construction sector has been swift and constant, realities of the complexity of our build environment has everyone involved playing catch up. My advice to practitioners is to soak up as much education as is humanly possible and don’t be afraid to revisit topics covered as it may not always sink in the first time. The Ministry has recently identified and announced four categories of learning for LBP’s, see page 21.

Homeowners, banking, real estate, supply chain and Building Consent Authorities [BCA] struggle with avenues of advice which break down policy into practical construction language. I am often on the receiving end of frustrated conversations with people within the industry who cannot make practical sense of LBP and other building policy.

Making the paper work practical and workable Policy and intent of LBP was dumped onto the Building Consent Authorities towards end of 2011, Christmas break soon arrived and just when they were gearing up for 2012, 1st of March arrived along with the expectations of LBP. This seeded the system as we know it today where BCA’s have been handed a hospital pass to “police” LBP’s, here lies an issue. The BCA’s have been practical and streamlined the paperwork

involved, however the spin off from this is LBP’s are not always meeting their obligations under the Building Act, which could be a compelling issue if facing the disciplinary board. Another unintentional consequence of BCA’s involvement is the intent of holding LBP’s accountable through transparency is not always being met. Practitioners who didn’t digest the Building Act for breakfast can be forgiven for not understanding their obligations to notify restricted building work and then submitting the relevant Record of Work [RoW].

To make it workable BCA’s are asking for one LBP number [usually carpentry at inspection time], the ability to track RoW’s against those practitioners actually on site is about as accurate as crystal ball gazing. I recently experienced multiple flooring gangs signed off by one LBP [who held indemnity insurance], after explaining this blanket approach is outside of the LBP scheme I was told they have an arrangement with the local BCA.

The Association went to great lengths to formulate a Record of Work which was detailed and manageable on a double sided page, this had to meet strict criteria as this has to comply with the Building Act described as “the prescribed form”, only to find our local council making concessions to this so a one page document [which did not meet the requirements of the prescribed form] can be submitted; While practical and workable for the trades, is in breach of the Building Act.

Future ball gazingI’d like to be able to report better days ahead with a strong demand from consumers on LBP’s and with this margins moving due to a quality framework recognising practitioners for their new found capabilities. However I can’t.

Instead of driving forward with adjustments which would give certainty to initiatives like risk based consenting, a depleted and under resourced Ministry [LBP] will be playing catch up to meet transparency through practical process.

The Building Practitioners Board [BPB] is now taking disciplinary action against LBP’s, interesting to see this action casts further than just RBW.

The Board is acting as the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff; once again our industry is witnessing brute force quality, by awarding disciplinary action. At around $13,000 for each current complaint upheld this is not effective use of your LBP fees. In each case there was clear evidence of a lack of basic construction methodologies and understanding of the regulatory framework we work within.

Knowledge is powerOn a more positive note it is very heart warming to see well informed members doing a great job, for you guys it’s going to be business as usual. For those who are too busy to seek new information you may just find yourself learning through brute force quality.


ASSOCIATION NEWS: 2014 UPDATE

Learn the Secrets of the Trade at our Members Only SeminarsFebruary/March’s round of ToolBox Seminar Series is all about the trade secrets which wise old builders keep to themselves giving them “inside knowledge”.

Because this round will give you an edge on your competitors we are going to do it behind closed doors.

That’s right: members only - top secret [no covert devices allowed]

Built up from members own experiences, past seminar, lessons learnt from CBA Insurances and Builtin New Zealand’s claims department.

• Nifty trade secrets on the tools

• Snippets of advantages to win a client over

• How I win more work than other builders

• I get paid on time every time - here’s what I do

• Products which are not compatible and will turn your job to custard

• LBP how I make it easy

• Job pricing, unforeseen costs to watch out for

• What it costs me to get out of bed in the morning

Rather than learning from the school of hard knocks we’ve rounded up the knowledge and wisdom from within the Association to present you “The best of the best” [men in black]

Keep an eye on your emails for confirmed venues and dates kicking off early February 2014

TOOLBOX

SEMINARSERIES

Membership fee increases effective January 2014The Board of Directors at their last meeting in November 2013 reviewed the subscriptions and fees payable and have agreed to increase all subscriptions and Levies by 4.5% per annum effective from 1st January 2014. This increase will result in small changes to the amount payable for memberships across all categories. As an example: for the standard Personal (Gold Card) Membership the increase will be $6 per year and $20 per year for category #1 of Business Membership. The increase will also apply to Advertising Levy with an increase of $5 per year for the Level 1 category.


ASSOCIATION NEWS - 2014 CERTIFIED BUILDERS CONFERENCE

Certified Builders Conference 2014CONFERENCE AGENDA

Time Details LocationThursday 26th June 20141pm Registration Opens Claudelands1pm EXPO opens to Certified

Builders Members and non-aligned tradesmen

Claudelands Hall A Expo Area

5:30pm Expo & Registration close Claudelands

Friday 27th June 2014

7:30am Registration Opens Claudelands8:30am Conference Officially Opens Claudelands Heaphy Rooms10:00am Morning Tea Claudelands Hall A Expo Area10:30am Conference recommences Claudelands Heaphy Rooms12:30pm Lunch Claudelands Hall A Expo Area1:30pm Conference recommences Claudelands Heaphy Rooms3:00pm Afternoon Tea Claudelands Hall A Expo Area3:30pm Conference recommences Claudelands Heaphy Rooms4:30pm Happy Hour Claudelands Hall A Expo Area6:00pm Friday Mingler Claudelands Hall B9:00pm Busses to accommodation Claudelands

Saturday 28th June 20147:30am Registration Opens Claudelands8:30am Educational workshops Claudelands Heaphy Rooms 1, 2 & 310:30am Morning Tea Claudelands Hall A Expo Area11:00am Educational workshops Claudelands Heaphy Rooms 1, 2 & 31pm Lunch Claudelands Hall A Expo Area2pm Closing of the Conference Claudelands Heaphy Rooms2:15pm Annual General Meeting Claudelands Heaphy Rooms3:30pm Afternoon Tea Claudelands Hall A Expo Area4:00pm Annual General Meeting

ContinuesClaudelands Heaphy Rooms

4:30pm Happy Hour Claudelands Upper Concourse7:00pm Gala Dinner Pre-dinner

drinksClaudelands

7:30pm Gala Dinner Commences Claudelands Heaphy RoomsMidnight Busses to accommodation Claudelands

* Times are subject to change.


Building Tomorrow together

With the Conference being held in the city which inspired Richard O’Brien to pen the famous movie/theatre

production that has been a cult following since 1975 - yes, you’ve got it! It’s time to rock out to the Rocky Horror

Picture Show and to do the Time Warp Again.....

The Gala Dinner on SaturdayNight is sure to excite

ASSOCIATION NEWS - 2014 CERTIFIED BUILDERS CONFERENCE

Conference & Exhibition Centre

Hamilton

26, 27 & 28 June

CONFERENCE

& EXPOCERTIFIED BUILDERS

2014

Two and a half days of Conference starting at 1pm on Thursday 26th and finishing up at midnight on Saturday the 28th of June.

Over 80 trade stands, you can guarantee that there will be suppliers that you have never seen before at any Certified Builders Conference.

The Friday Evening Mingler will be longer this year – 3 hours of Mingling to be done and prizes to be won, but the rest is still a surprise.

Conference preparations are coming along nicely for the LARGEST ever Certified Builders Conference, in a nutshell here’s what will be so very different:


ASSOCIATION NEWS

Certified Plans Launching 2014The planning and development of this exciting new service for members is underway targeting a launch in 2014.

The work so far has included the development of names, logos and their positioning with the brands of the members who have signed up and also Certified Builders. As you can see from the title above the name Certified Plans seems to fit the bill...

In addition we have started the planning work on the look, feel and functionality of a new web site. The new site will be a place for potential home owners to visit, view plans and find details of the signed up members.


We will be in touch with those who have signed up for details and including your web site address. If you do not have a web site we urge you to see pages 38 and 39 of this issue regarding web site design or contact [email protected] who can help create one for you. It will make your business stand out in the crowd. More on this later...

Plan Development Advisory Group:There has been an overwhelming response from members to our call for volunteers to become members of the Plan Development Advisory Group. This is a Group that is being formed to provide input and feedback on the Design Brief and also the actual Home Designs as they are developed. The group has been formed from members across the country and is made up:-

Jade McNamara, Exceed Homes, Invercargill

Louise Robbie, Robbie Builders, Foxton

Murray Semmens, Semmens Building & Construction, Morrinsville

Mike Craig, Mike Craig Builders, Wellington

Clinton Gollop, CBG Quality Construction, Wanaka

Jason McClintock, Operations Manager, Certified Builders, Tauranga

The group is set to have its first meeting by the end of November.

Many thanks to all those who volunteered and we may well call on you in the future for your input on further parts of the new service.

We have also appointed Greg Burn from Structure Limited to assist with the design process including the appointment of a designer(s) to undertake the plan design work. Greg has extensive experience in the development and management of Standard Plan Ranges along with his current design work. Greg also regularly supports BRANZ on their regular seminars across the country.

Some benefits of signing up?Apart from those already mentioned there are wide ranges of the benefits that can be gained from being part of Certified Plans.

These include – an investment to help you get to where you want to be in 10 years, having your own profitable, successful business – that is, if your goal is to grow your business or move away from working for others. It can also provide a easy ‘low cost kick start’ to starting your own business working directly with home buyers, if you have been contracting to others or working “Labour Only”. Maybe even a way of helping you make more money than your boss?.

Or it is just simply a small investment to give you some more tools and support to make more sales, grow your business and make more margins.

So don’t delay - contact Julie at National Support Office: [email protected] 0800 237 843 today to get further information and sign up.

Have you signed up?A reminder that there is still time to

sign up to be part of this programme

and gain the real benefits of more

sales enquiry and jobs.

We have set a date of 31st December

2013 as the close off date for being

part of this as an initial participant.

Members who want to sign up

after this date will be required to

contribute more funding toward its

set up, ongoing advertising, plan

range development and also for the

purchase of plans.

Welcome:

Welcome to Julie Thomas

who has joined Certified

Builders to help us in the

coordination, planning and

implementation of this

programme. Julie has a

background in design in the

building industry and also in

Account/Project

Management in the print

industry. So if you have not

heard from Julie no doubt you

will at some stage.

Welcome Julie!!

FEATURE: Housing Affordability

INHOUSE | DEC/JAN 201410

How can New Zealand builders become more productive?By Auckland commercial lawyer and CBANZ Board member Geoff Hardy

Housing affordability is a hot topic in New Zealand at the moment, and it has been bothering the Government for some time. There are a number of things the Government can do about it, and one of them is reducing the cost of construction by increasing productivity. They are confident this can be achieved, because studies have shown that productivity in the construction sector is relatively poor compared to other parts of the economy, and labour productivity growth in this sector in New Zealand is about half of that in Australia.

To find out the reasons for this, the Government referred the issue to the New Zealand Productivity Commission in March 2011. They released their final report in April 2012 which identified the most likely causes for the high cost of housing in this country, and made a lot of recommendations. The Government then instructed the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (“MBIE”) to conduct a study on competition and productivity within the residential construction sector. MBIE released an Issues Paper in May 2013 and has followed up with a 61-page Options Paper in November.

One of the problems is that New Zealand homeowners, designers, Councils, tradesmen and suppliers don’t embrace change very readily. We tend to stick with the old tried and true products and methods, even though there might be cheaper and/or better alternatives available that aren’t as well known. With homeowners, that is probably due to lack of knowledge, and the herd instinct. With everyone else, it is probably due to the fact that it is difficult and expensive to demonstrate that new products and processes comply with the Building Code, and they are all very gun-shy of the potential liability of departing from the straight and narrow. There are also a number of industry players with a

vested interest in ensuring the status quo is maintained. So it is essential that we clear away the roadblocks that prevent us from investigating new ways of doing things.

The Options Paper gives a number of hints about how MBIE propose to do that, and the resulting changes would have a big impact on the way residential builders go about their business. MBIE are toying with the following options (among others):

• Providing much more education on, and assistance with, the various ways to demonstrate Building Code compliance, so it becomes less daunting.

• Putting a couple of Government appointees on the Board of BRANZ (the leading New Zealand researcher of building products and processes) so there is more Government influence over what they spend the building levy on, and less control by the private sector.

• Prohibiting the current trend of designers to specify products by brand name rather than performance characteristics, and outlawing their insistence on “no substitutes”.

• Reducing the potential liability faced by designers, Councils, builders

and suppliers so that they are more inclined to innovate. Personally I think that is a case of shutting the door after the horse has bolted, given that the whole thrust of the last decade of reforms has been to make those parties more accountable for leaky buildings and (in the case of residential builders) to increase their liability overall. That is probably why this particular proposal is so lacking in substance. It simply speculates that the Law Commission might recommend a departure away from joint and several liability, and there is a vague suggestion that greater reliance should be placed on product warranties issued by manufacturers and less on Building Consent Authority and builder liability.

• They advocate spending taxpayer funds (as distinct from the building levy paid by builders or their clients) specifically on developing and bringing innovative construction systems to the market.

• To simplify the building consent process, the Government recently introduced the concept of national multi-use building consents, and it passed the Building Amendment Act 2012 which provides for less involvement by Building Consent Authorities in simple residential

Geoff Hardy is a commercial lawyer

in Auckland and also a director

on the Certified Builders

Association Board. Contact

Geoff on (09) 379 0700 or

[email protected]

This article is not intended to be

relied upon as legal advice.


projects. The Options Paper proposes to continue this trend by offering shorter, simpler consent processes and less inspections for larger residential builders who can demonstrate adequate quality control.

• The Paper expresses concern about the possibility of supplier-contractor rebates or loyalty schemes preventing competition and driving up prices, by locking the contractor into one particular supplier and preventing him from shopping around. It suggests that these arrangements should be disclosed by the contractor to his client to increase the prospects of the contractor passing on these benefits to his client. They have the same concerns about manufacturer-merchant loyalty schemes.

• The practice of cover pricing in construction tenders (contractors appearing to compete for tenders whereas in fact they are deciding

who will put in the lowest bid on each occasion) obviously drives up prices. However this is more the domain of the Commerce Commission, and MBIE make no specific proposals about it.

• Anti-dumping duties and tariffs insulate local manufacturers from competition from overseas suppliers – both unfair competition (in the case of anti-dumping duties) and fair competition (in the case of tariffs). Clearly these limit the potential for price competition in the construction sector, and the Paper questions whether they should be re-examined. However that is probably a little unrealistic given that there are only three building products currently subject to anti-dumping duties, tariffs are already being phased out, and international trade reform has far wider ramifications than simply concern about productivity in the New Zealand construction sector.

• To overcome our reluctance to embrace new technologies, it is proposed to use state housing as a form of “show home” to demonstrate what can be done. They are also talking about creating a special agency to encourage and support the industry to try out new products and processes, and they are contemplating directing BRANZ to concentrate on new rather than existing technologies.

• Further education is also a popular theme throughout the Paper. This would include various forms of training not only in the available alternatives to conventional approaches, but also improved project management skills for builders.

These are all simply proposals at the moment, and there may still be an opportunity to have your say. Public submissions on the Options Paper will be accepted by MBIE up to 5.00pm on Wednesday 18 December.

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Site training Chippy Catcher

FROM AROUND THE REGIONS

Members in the Western Bay of Plenty region got together with MBIE - Labour group and ACC for a site BBQ and an opportunity for a Q&A session.

This site featured a tag team of safety from falling products. A collective fall system candidly named Chippy Catcher was complimented by IntaKs a lightweight edge protection system.

“The Chippy Catcher allowed us to continue work with confidence in weather conditions we would otherwise not attempt erecting trusses” said Certified Builder Simon Robinson

A big thanks to Chippy Catcher for the BBQ and brewskies.

Carpenter Fenton Donunski enjoyed working with

the Chippy Catcher

Members in the Western Bay of Plenty region got together with MBIE - Labour group and ACC for a site BBQ and an opportunity for a Q&A session.

Intaks scaffolding was a smart choice for this build


The Ronald McDonald House Wellington were approached out of the blue by Certified Builder Nick Jones in early July 3013, about being the Charity of choice for an exciting fundraiser.

Ronald McDonald House Wellington

Having completed our House that Love Built in October 2012, the idea of a wonderful, modern playhouse focused on children made perfect sense to us and truly resonated with the Ronald McDonald House Wellington.

From the first contact, the Certified Building team were an absolute pleasure to deal with, keeping us in the loop and sending through progress photos (which were always received with incredible popularity on our Facebook page!).

The finished product was truly outstanding. Well constructed, stylish and modern, yet incredibly practical and filled with possibility – the Ronald McDonald House Wellington was very proud to be associated.

Selling raffle tickets was an absolute pleasure for both staff and our volunteers at the Home and Garden Show. The Certified Builders team were kind, passionate and incredibly enthusiastic.

The final donation of over $3,000 was more than we could ever have expected and were very humbled to be chosen as the recipient of such an inspirational project.

Chairman Dave Brown supporting the

Wellington region Certified Builders stand.

Tori Holden and Carolyn from Ronald McDonald

House Wellington

Happy Owners

The end of play house raffle, Kids Cancer Foundation House build.Play house is finished and installed onsite. Typical Wellington site had to be carried around back of house and onto their only flat area a deck. Lucky play house was kit set.

Wellington Home Show visitors enjoying Giant Jenga


TOGETHER, WE’RE BUILDING NEW ZEALAND

WHEN YOU’VE GOT SPECIALIST TRADIES READY TO GO, YOU CAN RELY ON PLACEMAKERS NOT TO DROP THE BALL.It’s no secret: delays cost money. At PlaceMakers, it’s a top priority to make sure deliveries to site get there ‘in full, on time and in spec’. We think of ourselves as the team behind your team and we understand the importance of your team delivering scheduled milestones on the job. The way we see it, we’ll do everything we can to support your timelines, so when your specialist trades turn up ready to go then so are you. Head into PlaceMakers and have a chat to us about what you need to get the job done because to us, your success is our success.


TOGETHER, WE’RE BUILDING NEW ZEALAND

WHEN YOU’VE GOT SPECIALIST TRADIES READY TO GO, YOU CAN RELY ON PLACEMAKERS NOT TO DROP THE BALL.It’s no secret: delays cost money. At PlaceMakers, it’s a top priority to make sure deliveries to site get there ‘in full, on time and in spec’. We think of ourselves as the team behind your team and we understand the importance of your team delivering scheduled milestones on the job. The way we see it, we’ll do everything we can to support your timelines, so when your specialist trades turn up ready to go then so are you. Head into PlaceMakers and have a chat to us about what you need to get the job done because to us, your success is our success.

FEATURE: Vodafone - Leading the 4G Revolution

Vodafone – Leading the 4G RevolutionAs mobile technology continues to develop, the business world is applying it ever more regularly using a diverse range of applications. The latest technology, 4G (‘Fourth Generation’), provides substantial performance improvements over previous mobile technologies, which means that network connectivity will no longer be a barrier to realising the benefits of mobility.

4G smartphone adoption is increasing month on month with more Kiwi businesses seeing the benefits of higher speeds and what this enables both for them and often more importantly, for their customers. Businesses are exploiting the growing features included in the latest smartphones such as mobile payments, sophisticated mapping and GPS functionality, and cloud based mobile applications.

4G is available now in New Zealand, with Vodafone the first to launch back in February 2013 and available in more locations (officially 8 cities with many more to be livesoon) and with more available devices (23 at the time of this article).

Vodafone’s 4G network is up to 15 times faster than standard 3G services, allowing users to stream, download, upload, browse music, video content and game faster than ever before. And 4G delivers a near seamless connection to the cloud, so businesses can upload and download attachments in seconds.

Our customers moving from 3G to 4G use more data because the experience is so much better. The video streaming experience is greatly enhanced with the ability to watch in HD without delays or the wait. Early adopters of 4G have increased data usage as a result of living life at the speed of 4G. We followed a group of almost 20,000 customers through their 4G journey and saw that the majority of customers usage increased from just over 300MB on 3G to 820MB after living with 4G for 6 months.

So what does this mean for Certified Builders Association members?The key difference is faster online access and a better overall experience – with tools like Google maps, photo uploads and seamless access to cloud applications like mobile banking, invoicing tools, or construction industry

specific applications that will enable Certified Builders Association members to do more work on the go and have access to information at your fingertips, and help you deliver better service to your customers.

Certified Builders Association members wanting to experience the speed of 4G will need a 4G-capable device with the latest software, a Vodafone mobile plan and be in a 4G coverage area. The device seamlessly switches to Vodafone’s next fastest 3G speeds when customers leave the 4G coverage area.

Vodafone’s 4G network is supported by the world’s leading mobile device manufacturers including Apple, HTC and Samsung. 23 4G-capable devices are available now – including the latest smartphones from Apple, Samsung, Sony, HTC and Nokia – giving Vodafone New Zealand the largest range of 4G-capable devices.

For more information on what 4G can do for your business or to get 4G today, contact:

[email protected] or for 4G coverage maps, visit www.vodafone.co.nz/network/mobile-network/

Nikos SkepetarisNational Sales Manager Digital Mobile


ARTICLE 9 Series of articles on Weathertight Remediation – an introduction for Builders

Leaky Buildings – The OpportunityThis is the last article in a series of articles summarizing a number of workshops on weathertight remediation for builders which the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment – Building and Housing group has been running around New Zealand. They outline some of the things a builder may need to consider before, during and after such a project. In this article we will be investigating where to from here for a builder who may be considering this line of work or who is maybe just looking for more information on the whole subject.

Builders carry a latent risk on all construction projects, and leaky building remediation projects are no exception. Typically we builders get our work through word of mouth or existing relationships, however, to secure this type of work it may be necessary to approach organisations not previously considered for new opportunities. As raised previously, the qualification and experience of designers and those professionals involved is critical to minimizing a builder’s risk and maximising the success of the overall project.

There are now many companies and individuals who specialise in services around remediation projects, who have varying skills and competence. Some of these may belong to industry bodies such as the NZIBS who have prerequisites for membership, provide training and a certification, specifically related to such work. I will always assess the suitability of those involved in a project and I am not afraid to walk away if they are in my view not sufficiently skilled or experienced. In some circumstances the risk to me as

builder can be too great. There are also builders out there offering a “one stop shop” option to building owners by effectively providing a design and build service, however, by doing so they take on the additional design risk arguably significantly increasing their exposure as a whole.

The building industry has to adapt to changes to the Building Act, Building Code, Health and Safety compliance to name but a few. With the Licensed Building Practitioner (LBP) scheme we don’t have a choice but to keep up-skilled and abreast of these changes if we want to continue to do restricted work which leaky building remediation most certainly usually is. So where does a builder go to get more information or training regarding remediation work? The Building and Housing group run various training courses on an on-going basis, such as the Weathertightness Induction Course for builders which may prove valuable. The Building and Housing group also produce some very useful Guides which whilst not specifically targeted at builders provide highly

relevant information on many parts of the process. These guides cover topics such as identifying the riskier features of a building, various investigation techniques, understanding the owner’s position and design considerations.

These are available in hard copy and pdf formats from the Building and Housing groups website, and details of these are listed below. This website also contains lots of other useful information on weathertightness issues and provides helpful background not only for builders but also important information for homeowners who may be unfortunate enough to own an affected property, such as the outlining the eligibility criteria and process for the WHRS.

There are many examples of builders who have a successful business specialising in remediating leaky buildings, and we have tens of thousands of affected homes in NZ. We need many good builders to restore our housing stock. Remediating leaky buildings is a challenge but also an opportunity.


6 FREE Help Line Services For all members

1. Contracts PETER DEGERHOLM Contract issues?

Call Peter for a free 20 minute session. Ph: 04 587 0061 Mob: 021 307 232

Fax: 04 587 0062 Email: [email protected]

2. Business Legal Issues GEOFF HARDY For advice on business-related

legal issues, call Geoff for a free 20 minute session. 8:30am-5.00pm Mon-Fri Ph: 09 379 0700 or junior lawyer Anastasiya Gutorova during business hours Ph: 09 970 9568

3. General Business Accounting or Tax

STEVE BROCKLEBANK For general business, accounting or tax

issues you can contact Steve Brocklebank of PricewaterhouseCoopers. You must identify yourself as a CBANZ member and any information you disclose will be treated with confidence. Call Steve Ph: 03 470 3615

4. Insurance JIM RICKARD Insurance issues?

Call Jim at CBA insurances. Ph: 07 579 6259 Mob: 0274 505 528

Email: [email protected]

5. Employment DANNY JACOBSON

TRUDY MARSHALL For advice on employment

related issues, call for a free 10 minute session.

Ph: 07 928 0529 Mob: 021 857 529 Email: [email protected]

6. Health & Safety GREG WATTS For advice on any health and

safety issues, call Greg for a free 30 minute session.

Ph: 0800 555 339 Email: [email protected]

Suggested follow up areas for more information

Building and Housing website: www.dbh.govt.nz/ws-info-for-building-professionals

The Building and Housing publications• Guide to Remediation Design

• Guide to the Diagnosis of Leaky Buildings

• Dealing with Timber in Leaky Buildings

• Code Watch Issue 1: October 2011

• http://www.dbh.govt.nz/weathertightness-guides

• OSH Bulletin 17

• ACC Think Safety First kit

• Pink is Tough Guide

Harry Dillon has been involved with the repair of more than 300 homes as a builder over the last ten years. This article represents Harry’s views which may not necessarily be same as the Department ’s.


FEATURE: Beacon Pathway

Don’t miss out! The opportunity to improve during repair or renovation

By Lois Easton, Beacon Pathway Inc

A ten home pilot project to “upgrade at the time of earthquake repair” holds lessons not just for Canterbury - make the most of major repair and renovation by upgrading at the same time.

The Build Back Smarter pilot project, led by Beacon Pathway, upgraded damaged Christchurch homes to demonstrate that home performance improvements can and should be included in earthquake repairs.

Four completed upgrades and four upgrades underway have contributed to a considerable understanding of the issues and barriers. One thing is clear; earthquake repairs – or any other major home renovation – are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve our houses.

Some measures should be prioritised above othersThe pilot project made it clear that there are some upgrades that need to be done at the time of repair or the opportunity will be lost for the foreseeable future. Opportunities for wall insulation retrofit during earthquake repairs, in particular, can be greater than initially scoped as it is often quickest and most practical to reline rather than repair plasterboard.

The kind of upgrades which should be done during earthquake repairs include:

• Retrofitting ceiling insulation to skillion and low pitched roofs where roofing or ceiling linings are being repaired.

• Installing underfloor insulation and ground vapour barriers under

normally inaccessible suspended floors where foundation repairs are occurring – often these involve lifting the house creating a unique access opportunity to the underfloor.

• Retrofitting wall insulation where cladding or wall linings are being replaced.

• Increasing specification of windows being repaired/replaced (double glazing, advanced glazing such as low emissivity/argon filled, thermally broken aluminium frames).

• Cutting hatches to access hard-to-insulate places (roof extensions and “popped tops”).

• Installing externally vented extract ventilation systems in kitchens and bathrooms.

• Installing heat transfer systems where ceilings are being repaired.

• Replacing downlights with surface mounted fittings.

• Relocating or replacing poorly located/sized/performing heating systems (Poorly located and sized heat pumps have been a common feature of Build Back Smarter houses).

An opportunity not to be missedThe earthquakes have created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address some of the root causes

of poor health and fuel poverty in Canterbury households.

63% of Canterbury houses were built before minimum insulation standards were introduced into the Building Code so these houses are unlikely to have any wall insulation. It can be expected that a similar proportion of earthquake-damaged homes will have no wall insulation whatsoever and, despite the Warm Up New Zealand programme, many of these homes will similarly have no or inadequate ceiling and underfloor insulation.

Compounding this is the fact that early insulation products were thinner than current minimum standards and a number of products used in early installations have now been shown to have a high failure rate due to slumping or general ineffectiveness (e.g. plasterboard backed foil, macerated paper). EECA considers that all houses built pre-2000 are likely to have inadequate ceiling and underfloor insulation. If a similar benchmark was applied to wall insulation retrofit, then 90% of Canterbury homes might be expected to have inadequate wall insulation.

Retrofitting wall insulation to existing homes is most easily done when claddings or linings are being removed and/or replaced. Therefore, effecting earthquake repairs of linings and claddings represents a substantial opportunity to improve the


About Beacon PathwayBeacon Pathway is an Incorporated Society committed to transforming New Zealand’s homes and neighbourhoods through research and demonstration projects that show how to make homes more resource efficient, healthier to live in, adaptable, resilient and affordable.

For further information about Beacon Pathway visit: www.beaconpathway.co.nz.

overall insulation of the home by installing insulation.

The situation is similar for other activities which require disruption to ceiling linings (e.g. cutting hatches to access ceiling cavities, installation of extract ventilation and heat transfer systems, replacement of downlights with surface mounted fittings) and replacement of windows which in normal circumstances will damage wall linings and window surrounds.

Another compelling reason to upgrade during repair is the opportunity lost by not doing so. Once earthquake repairs are complete, most homeowners will possess a house which has had substantial cosmetic renovation.

Assuming normal renovation patterns occur in the future, in these homes, it

can be expected that the opportunity to undertake these measures –and see a substantial lift in the performance of Christchurch homes, is unlikely to occur again for 30 years.

The same opportunities exist in major renovationsWhile the Build Back Smarter pilot has focused on Canterbury houses, a similar opportunity exists for any house undergoing major renovations. Whenever wall or ceiling linings are being replaced, or if a house is being reroofed, it is the perfect time to include insulation – even one external wall can make a difference to the comfort of a room.

Suggest to your clients that they also upgrade their extract ventilation

(bathroom fans, rangehoods) or install heat transfer systems at the same time to avoid later disruption. When new windows are being installed, recommend upgrading the windows to higher performance double glazing (low e glass, argon filled, thermally broken frames).

As a builder, you are in the perfect position to suggest your clients include in any major repairs or renovations the kind of upgrades that will improve their warmth, health and running costs.

While this Somerfield house was raised for foundation

repairs, insulation was fit ted to the previously

inaccessible under-floor.

Removal of plasterboard in

this Halswell house allowed

wall insulation to be fitted

to external walls.


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The designer says

The 16mm thick profile creates consistent deep shadows. The 3 widths available and the range of corner finishing provide design flexibility to achieve different looks. James Hardie provides me with a great online technical & design resource via ACCEL.co.nz. It gives me the confidence to design with the range of Scyon products.

The builder says

The 4.2m long boards are bevel back to sit flush with the stud. The enhanced durability and stability means less callbacks, saving time & money. The product is backed by great customer service & technical support to ensure I complete the project on time. It is a product that I trust to build with.

Scyon® Linea® WeatherboardScyon® Linea® Weatherboard is a 16mm thick bevel back weatherboard with deep shadow lines. Pre-primed and easy to install, Scyon® Linea® Weatherboard is the weatherboard that weathers well.

AdvancedMaterial

Certified & Tested

Sustainable Technical Support

Made In Nz

Made from an advanced lightweight cement composite with heavy duty performance, Scyon® Linea® Weatherboard is resistant to damage from fire, moisture and rot1. It is also easy to cut and gun-nailable.

Advanced Material

Fire Resistant

Rot Resistant

DamageResistant

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FEATURE: Skills Maintenance Update

Update on maintenance By Melanie McIver – LBP Project Manager

Skills Maintenance is the continual professional development (CPD) programme for the Licensed Building Practitioners (LBP) scheme. The current requirements for this programme is that, LBPs, dependant on which licence(s) held, are required to report a set number of Skill Maintenance points every two years. Points are self-allocated on a one-point per hour of relevant training basis.

I was recently asked at a Trade Training evening – “if I am qualified, why do I have to do Skills Maintenance, surely that is something non-qualified guys should be doing, not us”.

Skills Maintenance is not intended to suggest that you don’t know how to do your job properly. CPD is a characteristic of being part of a professional body.

Some professional bodies set specific activities and their members are required to provide evidence of undertaking these, some require a set number of hours of CPD over a set period of time, some specify areas of learning and evidence of this learning.

Others allow elective activities to gain a set number of points. Skill Maintenance adds to the credibility of the LBP scheme as it shows the Registrar and members of the public that LBPs are remaining professionally competent when they apply to relicense.

The Skills Maintenance programme is being reviewed to make sure that it contributes to ensuring that LBPs are keeping current on industry changes or reviewing their current knowledge to ensure that information they ‘know’ is correct. Representatives of Certified Builders have worked with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (The Ministry) to identify four ‘categories of learning’ that are relevant to LBPs.

THEY ARE:• Technical Skills and knowledge;

• Regulatory knowledge;

• Workplace safety; and

• Professional Development (optional).

Future requirements for Skills Maintenance will mean that as an LBP you will be required to complete at least one activity in each of the learning categories – with Professional Development being optional.

As a mechanism of ensuring that LBPs are carrying out the activities they are claiming, new recording requirements will be introduced. LBPs will be asked to provide a brief explanation of ‘what they learnt’ when claiming points for activities.

The Ministry will continue to work closely with Certified Builders to ensure that information relating to licensing and Skills Maintenance is delivered in a clear and timely manner – keep watching this space!

As a member of Certified Builders you have the advantage of having an organisation that supports you in meeting these requirements.

Having attended a few Trade Training and Toolbox meetings, I can see that you are essentially being handed your training programme without having to spend further time trying to source activities. All you need to do is attend.

have been Savory Group’s specialty since our foundation in 1941.

FEATURE– Centrespread

Commercial construction, interiors, joinery and...

Very satisfied clients...


FEATURE – Centrespread: Our History

Savory prides itself on integrity in every aspect of the company.We know our clients appreciate our approachability, accountability and can-do attitude.

PAKnSAVE Tauranga


The group’s management take an active, hands-on role in their projects. That’s why Savory clients get the attention they deserve, answers when they need them and results that exceed expectations. Our customers rely on Savory for total contract transparency. Promises made are honoured. No arguments. It’s little wonder a large proportion of Savory projects are for clients we’ve worked with previously.

OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE:Air New Zealand, AMI Insurance, ANZ, ASB, Auckland Museum, Berkeley Cinemas, Dick Smith, Fisher & Paykel, Fonterra, Foodstuffs, Ford, National Bank, OfficeMax, Panasonic, Peugeot, Pumpkin Patch, Unitec, University of Auckland, Water Care Services Limited and Westpac.

As Contracts Manager / Director of Savory Construction Limited beginning as a tradesman carpenter, I have programming and organisational ability that ensures Savory continually performs to clients’ expectations. My hands-on involvement with each project provides our clients with an invaluable link between site management and the design team.

We have been a member of Certified Builders Association since 2010.

Savory Construction Ltd www.savory.co.nz

Andrew Simms Motors,

Newmarket, Auckland


DRA

FTFC

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At Mitre 10 you’ll � nd the right people, the right products and all the tools you need to help your business grow. Visit mitre10.co.nz/trade

M10 7442 Building your Business A4 v2.indd 1 1/11/13 11:34 AM


FEATURE: EMPLOYMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

Employment Q & A

Trudy Marshall & Danny JacobsonPartners at Employment & Environment Law, Barristers and Solicitors, Tauranga. Trudy and Danny operate our Employment Helpline for CBANZ members: phone: 07 928 0529 They have also previously produced a Guide for Employers in the Construction Industry which CBANZ can send out to any members on request.

The below content is by its nature general, and is not intended to be a substitute for legal advice.

KIWISAVER – EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONQ : We are in the process of employing new staff. Some

of them are already in KiwiSaver and some are not. In terms of wages, we want to ensure there is equity between our staff and that some do not effectively cost us more because they are members of KiwiSaver and we therefore have to pay the employer KiwiSaver contribution on top of the wages. Can we put something in the employment agreements to cover this situation.

A : Yes, you can. As a result of amendments made to the KiwiSaver Act in 2008, you can include a provision in your employment agreements to the effect that an employee’s salary or wage is inclusive of any KiwiSaver compulsory employer contributions (as per the prevailing rate set pursuant to the KiwiSaver Act at any given time). However, in a recent case the Court of Appeal has held that an employer’s compulsory contributions must be paid in addition to any salary or wage which is at the level of the minimum rate as set pursuant to the Minimum Wage Act. So if your employees are paid at the rate of the minimum wage, the wage or salary cannot be inclusive of your compulsory employer contributions and must be paid over and above the minimum wage entitlement.

PAY AS YOU GO’ HOLIDAY PAY

Q : We have employed a labourer for the last 13 months. Initially we thought he would just be casual. We verbally agreed to pay his holiday pay at the rate of 8% on top of his weekly wage. There is no employment agreement in place and we do not issue payslips. He has not really ended up being casual as we have had so much work that he has been working for us on a full time basis every week over the 13 month period. He is now claiming that he is entitled to four weeks annual leave – apparently he has a relative who knows about employment law and she has told him that this is the case even though he has been paid an extra 8% since he has worked for us. Surely we don’t have to now give him paid annual leave as this would mean we are paying twice?!

A :This is a situation we deal with very regularly. Unfortunately, you have paid the ‘pay as you go’ holiday pay in breach of s28 of the Holidays Act. There are only two situations which enable you to regularly pay annual holiday pay with an employee’s pay.

These are if the employee: a. Is employed on a proper fixed term agreement for less than 12 months; or b. Works for the employer on a basis that is so intermittent or irregular that it is impracticable to provide four week’s annual holidays.

If either of those situations apply, there are three mandatory requirements, namely: the employee must agree to the pay as you go holiday pay in his or her employment agreement (so there must be a specific term covering this); the holiday pay must be paid as an identifiable component of the employee’s pay; and the rate of holiday pay must be not less than 8%. The Holidays Act expressly states that if an employer has incorrectly paid holiday pay without meeting all of the above requirements and the employment has continued for 12 months or more, then despite the payments made by the employer, the employee will still be entitled to four week’s paid annual leave. In your situation, you have not met a number of the mandatory requirements – he has not been employed in either of the two situations outlined above. Further, the ‘pay as you go’ holiday pay arrangement is not set out in an employment agreement and as you do not issue payslips, you are unlikely to have met the requirement for the pay being paid as an identifiable component of his regular pay. Your employee is therefore correct in claiming that he is entitled to four week’s paid annual leave on top of what you have already paid.

DRA

FTFC

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M10 7442 Building your Business A4 v2.indd 1 1/11/13 11:34 AM


* In association with: Certified Builders Association & ITAB

Sponsorship Proposal

PUT THEM ON THE LINE BOYS.

Enter the challengeThe New Zealand Carpentry Apprentice Challenge (renamed from the Apprentice Challenge) is set to go again in 2014.

Enter this prestigious competition so that you can win your regional event and progress toward the National Final (all expenses paid) which is held in conjunction with the Certified Builders Annual Conference and Expo being held in June next year in Hamilton. As well as winning the title you will also be in to win your share of a wide range prizes...

The regional events will be held in over 10 centres across New Zealand during the months of February, March and April 2014.

So take up the challenge and demonstrate your wide range of skills and knowledge. If you win who knows - your boss might even give you a ‘pay rise’

For further information including completion of the entry form visit: www.itab.co.nz

* In association with: Certified Builders Association & ITAB

Sponsorship Proposal


So What’s Coming Up

Graeme White (left)

Membership Development

Manager – South Island

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0800 CERTIFIED

(0800 237 843)

Buster CoughtreyMembership Development Manager – North Island Email: [email protected]: 0800 CERTIFIED (0800 237 843)

(right)

As I am writing this I am in the last week of the sale ToolBox seminar.Just about everyone who attended was very appreciative and well

pleased that they attended. The numbers that attended were low over

all. Once again I encourage not only you but your partners and staff to

attend these seminars - it will make them feel a part of your team.

I would like to point out what a great job our new President in Blenheim

Ben Grady is doing and we had a good turnout there - well done Ben.

As you are aware I am bringing other Providers (Polytechnics) into ITAB

training and we need you to support them.

ITAB`s after all is our own apprenticeship training programme if you

are thinking about an apprentice think ITABS.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry

Christmas, a happy New Year, and thank you all for your support over my

first year in this role.

Graeme White – Membership Development Manager South Island

Great to see everyone pulling together from Board members past and present, committee members and also members from the Wellington region, even the Chairman of Certified Builders Dave Brown turned up to give a hand. Not only did they put together the home show but they also built a fantastic play house worth $16,000 which got raffled off for the Ronald McDonald house. Again a big thank to all the sponsors, also thanks to Carolyn Young from Ronald McDonald house who gave up her time and spent 2 days selling tickets which was just superb on behalf of Certified Builders - thank you so much you were a real star.Wairararpa had their Trade Show and Golf Day on Friday 15th November. This was to raise funds for the Life-Like Trust and Business Mentoring, so thanks to Warwick and Vic for the day. Shame more builders didn’t turn up but for those that did a good time was had by all. A big thank you to all the sponsors.The UNITEC Awards Evening was held at Unitec on Wednesday 13th November. Lots of really great results and congratulations to Tuiti Hui being awarded “Unitec Apprentice of the Year”.It just remains for me to wish you all a fantastic Christmas and I hope the New Year will be a prosperous one for you all, don’t forget to spend some quality time with the family and that delightful lady in your life.

Buster Coughtrey – Membership Development Manager North Island

Wellington Home Show which was on 27th, 28th, 29th September went well - a big effort from Nick Jones President of Wellington and his team.

Toolbox Seminar kicks off on the 3rd of Feb 2014 in Rotorua. Good idea to get along to these seminars, they are packed with good information to help you and your business. Bring along the guys that work for you, they will get a better insight to where you are going in your business and the reasons behind it. That way when on site they will understand the reason behind the need and your jobs will run a lot smoother.ITAB Apprentices should start thinking about the NZ Carpentry Apprentice Challenge 2014, get talking with your tutors now and register your interest. If last year is anything to go by this is something that you won’t want to miss. Touch base with Lisa at Certified Builders National Support Office or your tutor and book your spot.


Luke Brommer, Year 4, with ITAB’s

Lisa Henderson and Buster Coughtrey

The evening celebrates excellence and awards some of the top apprentices for 2013. Tuiti Hui was awarded “Unitec Apprentice of the Year”. Tuiti Hui has been training with Unitec since 2009 after coming through a Gateway programme. He has been employed and mentored by Pat & Sue Gubb of Gubb Builders and more recently by the Unitec Trust. Tuiti was also the Auckland regional winner at the Apprentice Challenge in 2011. Other ITAB apprentices recognized with awards were:

Year 1 - Mingsheng Liu Year 3 - Peter PerezYear 2- Anthony Potter Year 4 - Luke Brommer

Congratulations to Tuiti and others for an outstanding effort.

Unitec Apprentice of the Year Awards Unitec Apprentice Awards annual Awards Dinner was held at Unitec on Wednesday 13th November.

Mingsheng (Alex) Lin, Year 1, with Leon and Martin Day from Dayle ITM

Anthony Potter, Year 2 with Acting

CEO Leon Fourie of UNITEC and

Mark Casimiro, Makita

EXCELLENCE THROUGH TRAINING

Unitec Apprentice of the Year - Tuiti Hui

with Auckland President Grant Boylan amd

Chief Executive Grant Florence

Peter Perez, Year 3, sponsored by GIB with

Kevin Sceats from Winstone Wallboards and

Leon


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0800 4 ALLIED | WWW.ALLIEDCONCRETE.CO.NZ

To the Apprentice

Scholarship Trust

for their generous

sponsorship.

Thanks again!

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of TechEthan Batten, Hann Construction Co LtdCameron Bird, Blue Summit Construction LimitedJohn Cleminson, John Gold Builders LtdJesse Dhue, Van Wiggen Builders LtdJoshua Hamilton, Mike Greer Homes LimitedKarl Helms, Jon Weir Homes LimitedMarijn Kirpensteijn, Contract Holdings LimitedMatthew Latham, Asset Builders 2000 LtdMarcus Pulefale, A D Building Solutions LtdHamish Sandford, ArronTudor PodmoreDavid Santos-Jackso, Stefan Wilke BuildersNicholas Sarjeant, Daivd Bailey ConstructionSetu Setu, Whyte Construction LtdJohn Shaw, Kenneally Homes LimitedStephen Van Der Lely, K Hutchings Builders LtdGregory Whitaker, Coughlan Construction Limited

David Williams, CA Freeman ConstructionEastern Institute of Technology (EIT)Sam Hampson-Ta, Luke O’Connell Construction LtdCharlie Hooper, Simkin ConstructionJason Johnston, Gemco ConstructionUNITEC New Zealand (FTB)Jacob Hepburn, Ken Wilson Builders LtdAlexander Pyne, IPM Group LimitedUniversal College of Learning (UCOL)Peter Hartwell, Lloyd Construction Limited

COMPLETED APPRENTICES

CPIT Annual Apprentice Awards


EXCELLENCE THROUGH TRAINING

Most Promising Year 1 ITAB Apprentice Hemi McCann

Most Promising Year 2 ITAB Apprentice Adam Lord

Most Outstanding display of upcoming ability Jeremy Nielson

ITAB Most promising Apprentice of the Year Greg Whitaker

Congratulations to you all!

Upper South Board member Brent Chatterton

and the CPIT representative is John McLardy

with Hemi McCann.

Adam Lord receives his awrd from Upper South

Board member Brent Chatterton and the CPIT

representative is John McLardy.

Upper South Board member Brent Chatterton and the CPIT representative is John McLardy with Jeremy Nielson.

Upper South Board member Brent Chatterton

and the CPIT representative is John McLardy

with Greg Whitaker.


All work boot orders will incur a $9 courier fee

Get your hands on some John Bull Work Boots at

a great price! Login to the members section of the

website and check them out under the online shop!

CERTIFIED BUILDERS

STICKERSBrand your company with the Certified Builders mark of quality!

Grab yourself a CB sticker or two for your vehicle.

134mm or 180mm Black, Silver or coloured available

NOTE: Certified Builders stickers will only be sold to Business

Members of the Association.

MERCHANDISE CLOTHING

Cheetahs – $145 inc gst

Cougars – $138 inc gst

Himalaya – $148 inc gst

Pythons – $122 inc gst


The Team from Earl Builders Ltd in Rangiora got

behind Movember and are some sporting some great

looking mo’s! Well done guys!

If it wasn’ t for their smart and professional branded CB

clothing, I’m sure they would all look a bit dodgy with their

mo’s, apart from Earl Builders smallest member who simply

looks adorable in her little shirt! Does your team look as

professional as Earl Builders do? Contact Millie for your one-

stop apparel shop! CB does it all for you ….. quotes, clothing,

screenprinting/embroidery all delivered right to your door!

Summer is here! Grab yourself some new work shorts!

BUILT TOUGH FOR WORK AND SURF – $49.95

• Lightweightandquickdry• Fabric:PolyesterMicrofibre• Navyorblackavailable• Airflowstretchcrotchwithvents• Multifunctionpocketsinclzipsecurity&phonepockets

• Tripleanddoublestitchedseamswithbartacks• Reflectiveprintonbackofshorts• Sizeadjustmenttabswithflexiwaist

MERCHANDISE CLOTHING

All clothing comes branded with the

Certified Builders logo. For ordering login

to the members section of the website and

browse through the online shop!

WWW.CERTIFIED.CO.NZ/

MEMBER-LOGIN/

High Vis Polo’s – $45

KoolDri Polo’s – $35 Colour options available

Zipped Polo – $40

Caps – $20

Cotton Tees – $19 inc gst Made from 200gm, 100% combed cotton with powerbanding to the neck and shoulders, for strength and durability. 20 great colour available


Masonry Blocks, Paving, Retaining Wall,Veneers & ConcreteProud to be a partner of Certified Builders.

www.bowersbrothers.co.nz


New Small Works and Alterations Contract released!A new version of the Shortform Contract for Small Works and Alterations has been released! It is intended for use where the building work is expected to be of such short duration that the Builder will only need to invoice the Owner a deposit and final payment. Where multiple invoices and payments are contemplated a more comprehensive contract is recommended. To grab a copy order on the online shop. If you have old versions sitting at home feel free to send them back and we will replace them for no charge.

Certified Builders has been rolling out their new building contracts over the course of 2013.

Contract changes over the past year• Full Build now called Fixed Price+

(also available online - fill in electronically!)

• Cost Reimbursement now called Cost & Margin (also available online - fill in electronically!)

• Labour Only now split into two contracts - Labour Only Fixed Price+ and Labour Only Cost & Margin (coming online soon!)

All Contracts are available for purchase on the online shop at www.certified.co.nz/members/online-shop/

Electronic Contracts - fill them in online!• Enter the job information on an easy 7 step template

• Save and close at any time if you need to come back later

• Email the draft contract to your client so they can read it over before signing

• Print the completed contract and drop it round to your client

• Certified Builders can personalise the front cover of the contract with your company logo! Raise your professionalism!

Go on give it a go!

www.certified.co.nz/members/online-contracts/

ASSOCIATION NEWS

SMALL WORKS & ALTERATIONS CONTRACT

NEW ZEALAND’S MOST

QUALIFIED BUILDERS

Certified Builders Association of New Zealand | Farming House, 102 - 104 Spring Street, Tauranga 3110

PO Box 13405, Tauranga Central, Tauranga 3141 | P: 07 927 7720 | F: 07 927 7721 | E: [email protected] | www.certified.co.nz


ASSOCIATION NEWS

How to use your website to WIN more projectsThere are many builders in your market, and most of them build to a satisfactory standard. Customers are spoilt for choice, so how can you increase the chances of them choosing you for their next building project?

The larger the project, the more trust and relationship is required by the customer. They are likely to shop around other building companies, and they will do their research online to help them make the right decision. If you can demonstrate more expertise, and give more value than your competitors, then the client is more likely to choose you.

This is where your website becomes invaluable and can help you in the sales process after your initial meeting with the prospective client. Here are some ways you should be using your website to help you win more projects.

Continue To Give Value After Your Initial MeetingBecause you know your prospect is going to do their research and wants as much information as possible, tell them to go to your website to help them in their decision. Your website should add value by containing the following:

Video customer testimonialsPeople want to know that others have received a great result from you. Video is the most credible way you can show customer satisfaction, as it cannot be faked, is genuine, real and very powerful as a demonstration of proof of customer satisfaction. If video is not possible for you at this stage, then written testimonials with a photo should be a minimum.

Comprehensive Case StudiesSimilarly, prospects want to know what experiences and results other customers received from you. A comprehensive

case study will answer many questions a prospect may have, and they can relate their current situation to the case study. By seeing what the outcome is will allay any fears and concerns they may have. The more detail you have in your case studies the better. Audio, Video, Photos, Infographics.

Comprehensive Guides To The Building ProcessRemember it is all about answering the questions the prospect has about the building process, both asked and unasked by them. The more you can do this, the more trust you will build that you know what you are doing and understand their needs the most.

Social MediaYour prospect is likely to be using social media, especially Facebook. By posting photos daily of your construction progress, you are showing prospects that you actively engage and communicate with your current clients and make the process enjoyable for them, something they can share in. The home build process for the client is exciting, and they will share the photos with their friend and family. This extends your marketing reach and aids in building referrals.

Also, you can show facebook adverts only to prospects who have been to your website already. This is a fantastic way to ‘touch’ your prospect again and remind them of the value YOU provide, staying front of mind with the prospect in their decision making process.

Ben Smith is a digital marketing specialist

working with Certified Builders

to offer digital marketing

services to its members,

including website builds, Google

Adwords management and

website strategy. Find out more

at www.websites.certified.co.nz


ASSOCIATION NEWS

Online AdvertisingEvery building company does offline advertising, but hardly any do online advertising. Facebook adverts were discussed previously, however there are many more ways to connect with your prospect. From a Google search where you can show your Ads for relevant search results, to display advertising where your ads can show on other relevant websites around the internet (including Youtube), the beauty of online advertising is it is inexpensive compared to offline advertising, and you can TRACK & MEASURE your return on investment exactly.

Your prospect is most definitely using the internet to search for and research products and services, so you have an incredible opportunity to market to a highly targeted audience, doing something that most building companies are not doing because they don’t understand the power of it.

You can of course give all this information in a meeting or phone call, but oftentimes the prospect wants to do research and evaluation in their own time and come to their own conclusions. So use your website to give them more value and you will increase your chances of winning the project.

Get A Website For Your Building Company For Just $750 + GST

Optional Extras:

1. Blogging - Give value to visitors by regularly updating your website with helpful content through blogging.

2. Email marketing - Capture the emails of website visitors so you can nurture them through an email marketing campaign.

3. Google Analytics - Make better marketing decisions by knowing where your visitors come from and what pages they view.

4. Mobile responsive - About 25% of people will browse your website using a mobile device. Make their experience a good one.

5. Social networking - Add social media buttons to your website &connect to your facebook, twitter, youtube & G+ accounts.

Increase sales, leads & enquiries by having an online presence

A Website Is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool. Here’s what it will do for you:

• Get in front of people who are searching for builders online

• Showcase your quality of work to build trust with your prospect

• Display testimonials as proof of customer satisfaction

Get ONLINE in just 3 EASY STEPS!

1. Choose your

design

2. Send us your

content

3. Wait for your

website

visit www.websites.certified.co.nz for more information

“We have been running

our mid-sized construction

company for almost 20 years.

During this time, getting our

website developed has been

the single most beneficial

action we’ve taken to increase

our business.”

Dina & Phil Penney

- Auckland

superiorconstruction.co.nz


ASSOCIATION NEWS

The Association’s new look Business Survey is now liveCharge out rates and wages benchmarking made easy, the new look is builder friendly with streamlined data and easy options for members to extract key business indicators including build costs and pay rates giving you an accurate picture of how your business compares to others in the industry, while removing the need for surveys in the future.

This year we have partnered with Industry51, developers of a New Zealand based online system. It is a ‘real-time’ system that provides live, up-to-the-minute information, customised to your business.

Industry51 is free of charge, exclusive to CBANZ platinum members, and it takes less than a minute to sign up and start exploring the available data.

Initially the system will cover pricing metrics (Hourly charge out rates and square metre rates) and staff/contractor pay rates, but will be expanded to include other important business metrics in future.

Gaining access:

1. Log into the members area of the Association’s web site

2. Click on the charge out rates & wages benchmarking tab

3. Hit “GET STARTED HERE” and your away

The system has been ‘pre-loaded’ with data from our survey earlier this year, thanks to those who took part, this laid a base for new inputs to be rated against.

Members will need to register and create a new business profile. Don’t worry though, it takes less than a minute and you will only need to do it once. Enter in your latest rates and see how they stack up against the national average, your region or other regions across New Zealand.

“With its innovative ‘real-time’ platform, Industry51 provides a great springboard for the association to support members with critical business benchmarking information.” - Grant Florence


SKILLS MAINTENANCE POINTS

One hour of learning = 1 point Read InHouse magazine and earn

Skills Maintenance Points

For more information go to:http://www.business.govt.nz/lbp

+1 POINT

BEWARE! Xmas ThievesInsurance claim history shows that the theft of hand tools and other equipment from building sites rises significantly leading up to the Christmas break. To save you money and the hassle of making a claim on your insurance policy please make sure that you have your tools and equipment securely stored over night or when you are away from your site(s).Recent claims have shown that thieves are now finding securely locked containers on site no barrier to them breaking in and stealing your good gear. Now is the time to consider your best options for the safe and hassle free storage of your tools and equipment

Certified Builders National Support Office

and BUILTIN join in the Breast Cancer

Awareness Walk


As a member of Certified Builders you are entitled to a number of great benefits.

For all the info you need and a fantastic online shop check out the members section of the Certified Builders website. Simply login with your details and start exploring everything Certified Builders can offer you and your business. www.certified.co.nz

Special members price for AA membership. AA Business Care – Passenger Standard $43.00 per vehicle per year. Normally costs $67.00.

Vodafone Contact Alex Marshall on 0800 422 202 for some great business smart plans with up to one month free on signup!

The Caltex StarCard® is an excellent way to efficiently manage your fuel expenses and reduce your running around costs. t: 0800 733 835

Noel Leeming discounted member prices exclusive to Certified Builders.

Harvey Norman Commercial discounted member prices exclusive to Certified Builders.

We have partnered with Fisher & Paykel to bring you discounted prices exclusive and confidential to members. Take advantage of these special prices and pass on the discounts to your clients to sweeten the deal.

Check out the Certified Builders website for the latest monthly price list.

Need some of the world’s most durable outdoor clothing for doing the stuff you enjoy? Hunting, fishing, building or sports? Grab your Swazi gears at trade price! Join Clan Swazi as a CBANZ member today and you will be able to purchase Swazi Clothing at special CBANZ prices! www.swazi.co.nz/Prodeal/CBANZ/

Secure information from your mobile direct to your online diary with LocknLoad. Onsite job management tool, proof of work completed, photo diary notes, create job files.

MEMBERSHIP

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Want to become a CB member? Check out our website for all the details www.certified.co.nz


MEMBERSHIP

CBA Insurances Limited & Homefirst 10 Year Builders Guarantee. Access to the resources of CBA Insurances Limited – your Insurance Brokers, and to the Homefirst 10 Year Builders Guarantee.

Regional Trade Training and ToolBox Seminars Regular Trade Training and ToolBox Seminars in your region which are provided to both up skill your knowledge as well as teach good business practice. LBP Skills Maintenance Points are awarded for attendance.

INHOUSE Magazine The official Magazine of Certified Builders – comes to your letterbox bi-monthly bringing you up to date with issues that affect members and happenings within the Association and the Industry.

Licensed Building Practitioner We help you get licensed! We have created a streamlined process for our members to make it quicker and easier for you. We also have LBP stickers available for purchase. There is a selection of vehicle size and stationary stamp size decals. Certified Builders liaise with Council and DBH giving guidance on compliance. We have also created a great tool for builder’s onsite – a detailed Licensing Handbook which is a paint by numbers approach with all things licensing on site, so you can get on with the next job and not waste time chasing compliance documents.

Clothing

As a member you can purchase a range of clothing which comes with the Certified Builders logo embroidered or screenprinted. T-Shirts, polo shirts, vests, jackets, overalls, hoodies, beanies, and sun hats all available for purchase! Why not get your company logo on your clothing too!? Millie T can organise this all for you! View our online shop under the members section of the website.

NZS3604:2011

Get the members rate for the new version of the NZS3604:2011, E2 Moisture Manual 2011, NZS Onsite Handbook or any other Acceptable Solution.

Stationery

A range of stationery available including: presentation folders, letterhead, self-adhesive logo stickers, electronic Certified Builders logo’s, invoice books, variation books, subcontractor forms, site signage and much more. View our online shop under the members section of the website.

Websites & Online Advertising It is VITAL to have an online presence in this day and age and CBANZ offers our members two different website solutions. The first option is an enhancement of your information that sits on the Certified Builders website (under Locate a Builder) which we call a Display Page (setup for $390 + GST). We list ALL of our members details to be found by consumers looking for builders (over 3,000 people per month) – here you can enhance the information by including your logo, images of past projects and even yourself and your team as well as text to build trust and interest with the consumer. You can also link directly from your Display Page to your Website (if you have one?) and if you don’t have one CBANZ can build you a 4 page website for just $695 + GST.

SEMINARSERIES

TOOLBOX


HOMEFIRST BUILDERS GUARANTEE

BREAKING NEWS: From 1st November cover under the Homefirst 10 Year Builders Guarantee will increase to 50% of the contract price up to $1,000,000. Your guarantee is still the only one backed by a licensed insurance company It still has the best cover for loss of deposit and non-completion in the market The application process has also been simplified, making the paperwork easier There are also some changes to the terms and conditions New guarantee forms will be issued and must be used from 1st November. Download them from www.certified.co.nz or contact [email protected].

What’s NOT Covered By The Guarantee (Part Four) In this series of articles we explain in plain language the exclusions in the Homefirst Builders Guarantee. Part Four covers exclusions (n) to (q). Whether it’s a workplace injury, disease, fire, theft or car accident, most people think “it’ll never happen to me”. Despite that, most people will have insurance against one or all of these things, just in case.

The purpose of the Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee is the same. It protects homeowners from being out of pocket in the event that their builder is unable to finish their build. It will also pay to rectify defects, if they arise, and their original builder is no longer around to do it themselves.

Like any insurance policy, there are exclusions to make clear some of the things that are not intended to be covered by the Guarantee.

SECTION D: EXCLUSIONS CBL (the underwriter of the Guarantee) shall not be liable for any Claim for loss or damage: 16 (n) arising from a Contractual dispute between the Builder and the Building Owner, except where otherwise specifically covered under this Guarantee and Indemnity; Explanation: The Guarantee only comes into force when the contract between the builder &

homeowner has been discharged/cancelled. There are other mechanisms to resolve contractual disputes, such as mediation, arbitration & the disputes tribunal. 16 (o) demolition of any kind; Explanation: The Guarantee is not intended to pay for the cost of demolition. 16 (p) where Variations to the Building Contract set out on the Certificate of Guarantee are carried out and which are not expressly agreed to by CBL; Explanation: The Guarantee covers the work set out in your original contract with the homeowner. Variations to this increase the cost and scope of the work. If these variations are to be covered by the Guarantee they must be approved by the Guarantee underwriter. 16 (q) where specified exclusions have been added to the attached Certificate of Guarantee. Explanation: The underwriter may choose to exclude specific work that it considers high risk by adding this to the Guarantee Certificate for your specific job. This article provides some clarification of the exclusions contained within the Homefirst Guarantee policy. It should not be relied upon as legal opinion. Interpretation of the policy is a right reserved by CBL and will depend on the specific circumstances of each individual claim. The new guarantee to be released in November contains some changes to these terms & conditions.

The Homefirst Builders Guarantee is independently administered by Builtin New Zealand Limited and underwritten by CBL Insurance Limited. For more information or to apply for a guarantee online visit: www.builtin.co.nz. Contact the team on 0800 237 843 or e: [email protected].

watertightwarranty.co.nz To become a WaterTight Accredited Builder contact Ben on: 07 579 6259, e: [email protected]

CERTIFIED BUILDERS INDEPENDENT 10 YEAR GUARANTEEDear Business Members,

We continue to work with Builtin on improving and refining the terms of the Certified Builders Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee that is available to all clients of Members of the Association.This is especially required when considering the implications of the Building Act Amendment #4 which is in the process of becoming law. As we have advised in the past this new law may have significant new requirements for all builders relating to disclosure to customers, access to Guarantees etc.

The Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee is an independently insured guarantee that protects your clients if for any reason you’re unable to complete the contract, or go back to fix defects if they arise in the future. This gives your clients protection from some of the risks involved in the building process. It’s one of the benefits homebuyers who are building receive when they choose a Certified Builder and it helps us set a higher standard.

We are delighted to announce a number of changes to the Certified Builders Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee. These changes take effect from 1st December 2013.

WHAT’S CHANGING?• Defects cover is now up to 50% of the contract

price, to a maximum of $1,000,000.• We have introduced a guide to acceptable

tolerances.

• Variations up to 10% of the contract price are now included.

• Multiple transfers are now allowed.• Some tweaks have been made to the terms &

conditions also.

Builtin have advised that the cost of the guarantee is also increasing modestly, reflecting the increase in building costs over the past 6 years. Compared to other similar guarantees the Certified Builders Guarantee remains very competitively priced.WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?From the 1st of December 2013 all applications for a guarantee must be made using the new form (visit our website to download it or contact Millie T at Support Office). You can also apply online at: www.builtin.co.nz/login using your Certified Builders login details.

For more information on the benefits of the Certified Builders Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee visit our website: www.certified.co.nz.Go to the members section of our site to order guarantee brochures and application booklets online (there’s no cost).Remember, the Certified Builders Homefirst 10 Year Guarantee lasts for 10 years and is a very real benefit your clients get when they choose a Certified Builder.

If you have any questions please contact the Certified Builders Guarantee Team. Phone 0800 237 843 extn 714 or email [email protected].

Kind Regards,

Grant Florence Chief Executive


MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF

REFLECTING ON THE YEAR AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT

Grant Florence – Chief ExecutiveHousing has now become fair and square an issue that will be raised in profile to even greater heights as we move toward the next General Election. The forcing of the general housing (including affordability) issue into the political spectrum continues to cause much confusion to many participants in the sector.

On one hand we have the well documented housing stock shortage in Auckland with a projected annual build demand that is over 100% higher than what has ever been built in the past. On the other had we have the introduction of the Loan to Valuation Ratio lending policy by the Reserve Bank – that is having a negative impact on the confidence of consumers thus the ability to build houses to meet to this demand. Does not make sense.

We have a shortage of trades existing and looming (well forecast by industry incidentally) but have a Government response that limits the availability and scope of incentives for new apprentices and indeed employers to take on new apprentices. Does not make sense.

We have still another review on the price of building materials in New Zealand. This follows a review that was done just a few months ago. Although it is laudable that if there is some adjustments to be made on materials pricing – which may flow into lower house prices - there has been little attempt to address the huge increases in compliance and local body costs which if addressed, will have a far greater effect on reducing prices and the flow on to more affordable housing. Does not make sense.

The building industry has been dogged by the ‘boom and bust’ cycles of the past which have caused all manner of issues for the industry as well as home and property owners. This is a feature that industry, Government and regulators have announced on a regular basis should never be repeated. Guess what here we go again. Does not make sense.

To top this all off we have the huge task ahead for the sector in regards to the rebuild of Christchurch – which is bringing its own set of challenges for us all.

As we wind into the Christmas holiday break I am sure all members of Certified Builders are starting to be bombarded with those requests – “Can I have it done by Xmas!” – and I am sure these requests are being responded to in the most professional and effective Certified Builders manner.

On behalf of all the staff at National Support Office, I take this opportunity to thank you for your support during the year and wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and a safe New Year – as we look forward to the opportunities that 2014 will bring.

Now that makes sense!

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18789 Databuild Adv NZ 180x130 FINAL.indd 1 31/01/13 8:54 AM

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