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Students and young professionals shut out of shared flatting because of rental shortage

Students and young professionals are having to consider living alone as many reassess their accommodation because of a lack of suitable three- and four-bedroom rental properties for flatting. Hamilton’s largest property management company, Lodge City Rentals, had just 25 empty homes on their books available for rent in January, and with growing rental housing demand in the city, it was becoming almost impossible to secure a three- or four-bedroom home to flat in. Lodge City Rentals General Man...

Omega Capital says inconsistent Government legislation is ‘tying developers’ hands’ – worse housing crisis looms

Government moves to free up housing supply is doing little to help developers who are feeling a credit squeeze leaving them unable to get finance to buy land and build more houses, say mortgage brokers. The General Manager of Waikato based Omega Capital, a commercial broker specialising in sourcing property finance, Noni Martin says Omega is experiencing four times the number of finance enquiries than they usually receive this time last year. “It’s no secret there is a real credit squeeze at...

Number of homes for sale doubles in Hamilton but rental properties are scarce

The number of homes for sale in Hamilton has nearly doubled compared to the same time last year but the number of rental properties available in the city is at an extreme low says real estate agency Lodge. Lodge Real Estate Managing Director, Jeremy O’Rourke, says the number of residential properties currently for sale in Hamilton sat at 780 at the end of January, which was a vast improvement on the 410 available on the market at the same time last year. Lodge City Rentals, Hamilton’s larges...

Are your staff communication channels ready for 2022?

By Heather Claycomb  Two years ago, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, organisations were forced by necessity to smarten up their internal communications.    For many in the corporate sector, improved staff communications and relationships was one of the upsides of the pandemic.  For many, staying connected during remote working and building regular wellbeing check-ins into the work-week has reaped benefits in terms of staff loyalty and enhanced team dynamics.  ...

KCE and local pest management group trap unprecedented number of pests at Lake Kuratau

A new trapline near Lake Kuratau set up by King Country Energy (KCE) and the Omori Kuratau Pest Management Group (OKPMG) has captured an unprecedented number of pests in just three months. The new trapline is intended to capture possums, stoats, rats and mice that both compete with native wildlife for food and habitat and prey on them. It runs through a forestry block around the southern part of Lake Kuratau, above the Kuratau Power Station owned by KCE. “Usually a new trapline takes about a m...

Payout news will help farmers tackle the summer dry

This week’s record forecast payout announcement by Fonterra is good news for dairy farmers as they tackle the effects of the summer dry, says Perrin Ag senior consultant Daniel Payton. The co-operative has lifted its 2021-22 forecast farmgate milk price range to $8.90 - $9.50/kgMS, up from $8.40 - $9.00 per kgMS. “As temperatures soar across the country, pasture is scarce and many farmers are priority feeding their milking herd by culling cows. “Many dairy farmers are also reviewing their...

Employers concerned about Covid infection risks, sick leave and business continuity as people return to work

As people return to work after the summer holidays, concerns are surfacing from employers about how to minimise Covid infection risk, manage sick leave and ensure business continuity in the event of a local outbreak. A month on from the introduction of the Government’s Covid-19 Protection Framework, Tompkins Wake Senior Associate Karina McLuskie says employers’ focus is shifting from vaccination conversations to working through a myriad of ‘what ifs’ as employers prepare for the impact C...

Father and son venture makes cycling accessible for more Hawke’s Bay locals as e-bike demand triples

A new venture run by a Hawke’s Bay father and son is making cycling accessible for more locals, with estimated demand for e-bikes in the region tripling over the last three years. Respected local cycling enthusiast, Dave McGregor, is the owner of New Zealand’s newest Electrify NZ e-bike franchise in Taradale, working with his son Alex. Born and bred in the Bay, Dave has been in the cycling industry for more than 25 years, with 18 of those as sales manager for another bike shop in Taradale se...

Lodge Real Estate says sanity is returning to Hamilton housing market

Real estate agents say some sanity is returning to the Hamilton housing market as they tackle conversations with vendors about their price expectations and buyers face having bank preapprovals removed. For some, however, November prices may have still felt insane. The Real Estate Institute of NZ reported that Hamilton’s median house price broke another record in November, moving to $881,000 from just $829,000 in October.  This compares to Hamilton’s median of $693,000 in November 2020.&...

NZ’s largest Isuzu dealer invests $34M in new Auckland and Whangarei facilities

CAL Isuzu, New Zealand’s largest independent Isuzu dealership, announced today it will build a new $22M dealership and workshop in East Tamaki and a new $12M dealership and workshop in Whangarei.  Tenders for construction open soon with construction set to begin in mid-2022 with hopes both new facilities will be fully operational in early 2023.  The Whangarei operation will also grow its team numbers from three to around 12 once the facility is completed. While many companies tighten...

Plan next season’s recruitment now to avoid unnecessary headaches

Dairy farmers taking on new sharemilkers or contract milkers next season should be planning recruitment now, as the industry continues to face staff shortages with competition high among employers.Perrin Ag senior consultant Mark Williams says in his experience many dairy farmers don’t plan their recruitment well and end up rushing the process. That can spell trouble down the track. “If you know you will be recruiting for the 2022/23 season, you should be spending time now getting your ...

When good news is just not news

It’s exciting when your team wins awards or appoints new people. Sharing the news internally is a great way to boost your team’s morale and instil pride. But if we’re brutally honest, most of the time, no one else really cares! So how do we make them care? How do we engage clients, customers, key stakeholders and potentially, media? Kate offers some tips : Link your news to an industry trend or topical issue – why have you appointed a new person? Do you need the extra resource to cater f...

Preserve your reputation, beat the storm

I don’t know if it’s a combination of Covid craziness and end of year angst, or the cosmic after-effects of last month’s micro Moon eclipse, but recent days at HMC have seen an unusual convergence of heavy issues and crises.  For our team, every time we advise a client on a tough issue, we like to step back and understand what we can learn, take away and apply in the future when another client issue arises.  Here are a few of our learnings over the past month, which might help wh...

Omega Capital boosts commercial finance experience base with new addition

Waikato-based commercial mortgage broking firm Omega Capital has boosted its commercial finance and property development experience base with Dion Wright joining the team. Dion, who lives in Hamilton, joins Omega after holding roles in commercial property project management for ABB and the University of Waikato, and before that holding several finance roles. “I have had quite a different pathway to joining Omega, but my property development experience along with my earlier experience in proper...

New Chief Executive for Food Waikato

Dairy product manufacturer New Zealand Food Innovation Waikato has appointed Tony Giles as its new Chief Executive. Tony, who was formerly Chief Executive of New Zealand Dairy Goat Co-operative, will take over from Stuart Gordon, who has been Chief Executive of FoodWaikato for the past nine years. Stuart is stepping down from the role but will remain as part-time Chief Executive at Waikato Innovation Park,where FoodWaikato is based. FoodWaikato Chairman, Barry Harris, said Stuart was leaving th...

Good soil management key to sustainable irrigation for award winning Canterbury farmers

Understanding soil types and managing soil biodiversity is key to sustainable irrigation and a successful farming operation, according to Canterbury mixed cropping farmer Angus Aitken. Angus and his wife Elise are the Supreme Winners of the 2021 Zimmatic® Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Awards. They farm a 550ha mixed cropping property in Waiau that grows a variety of produce, from sweet corn to red clover for lamb finishing. The Aitken’s have a consent to draw water from a nearby Waiau ...

Demand for governance expertise doubles as NZ businesses seek to protect themselves against the pandemic

Board Dynamicschief executive Henri Eliot says demand for his company’s expertise in board appointment and evaluation has doubled over the last 12 months, as New Zealand businesses seek help to strengthen their corporate governance in the wake of the pandemic. National law firm Tompkins Wake has purchased a 50 per cent stake in Board Dynamics, enabling the duo to enhance its current offering to companies wanting professional expertise to protect their businesses during unprecedented times. &nb...

Hamilton property listings escalate during October but sections remain scarce

Spring has seen new residential property listings in Hamilton jump up to over 614 listed for sale according to realestate.co.nz, but empty sections remain hard to come by for buyers. Lodge Real Estate Managing Director Jeremy O’Rourke says on any given day you can count on one hand the number of empty sections available within the Hamilton city boundaries, with the scarcity of sections particularly hitting the north of the city. “While there are plenty of house and land packages available in...

Vaccination Communication

By Heather Claycomb Everyone is talking about Covid-19 vaccinations. Pro-vax, anti-vax, doubled-jabbed, first dose, second dose, booster, ninety-percent targets.  These are some of the most-used words in our daily conversations, right?  And those conversations can quickly heat up when you meet someone with an opposing, or just slightly different, point of view when it comes to vaccination mandates and corporate policy. As a business owner or manager, one the most sensitive communicati...

Tompkins Wake attributes Rotorua’s lifestyle appeal to its 30% growth in three years

The lifestyle attraction driving population growth in Rotorua has been the impetus for Tompkins Wake’s business growth in the region of 30 percent over the last three years, according to its chief executive Jon Calder.  The national law firm has welcomed prominent Rotorua lawyer Catriona Gordon, as it continues to grow and expand its reach in Rotorua and across the wider Bay of Plenty. This week, Catriona joins Tompkins Wake as a new partner, bringing with her a team of two senior solicit...

New housing rules to stimulate development may be hindered by tight finance restrictions

Government moves to intensify building development and stimulate housing has given a green light to build more houses, but developers already have the brakes on because of tight lending restrictions by banks, say mortgage brokers. The General Manager of Hamilton based Omega Capital, a non-bank specialising in sourcing property finance, Noni Martin, says sweeping changes introduced by Government in the last couple of weeks, designed to stimulate housing development, may not have the desired resul...

Patient care remains top priority as Hospice Waikato prepares for End of Life Choice Act coming into force

The Waikato region’s leading provider of palliative care services has spent the past few months educating its team of 130 staff and more than 650 volunteers about what the implementation of the End of Life Choice Act means for the organisation and its patients as assisted dying becomes legal on 7 November. Hospice Waikato CEO Craig Tamblyn says the Act coming into force does not change, whatsoever, the palliative care and family bereavement support services the organisation provides. “As ass...

Bankers leaving the industry in frustration as lending rules tighten

Employees in mainstream banking are leaving the sector as they become fatigued by constantly changing lending rules says the new General Manager of leading mortgage brokerageOmega Capital. Noni Martin joined Omega Capital in June last year after a long career in retail banking. Her last role was as a partner in BNZ’s Property Finance division, managing a $650 million plus portfolio. “I still have a lot of long-time friends and colleagues in banking.  It’s a very tight community and t...

Experienced property finance banker Nikki Wood joins Omega Capital

Commercial mortgage broking house Omega Capital has welcomed new broker Nikki Wood to their team bringing with her more than 20 years of property finance experience. Nikki, who lives in Hamilton, joins Omega from Westpac where her last role was as a senior property finance manager looking after a portfolio of around $500 million. “I have a deep understanding of the property development sector from buying land through to consenting processes and the issuing of titles. I enjoy working through le...

Noni Martin appointed new General Manager of Omega Capital

Hamilton based non-bank lender Omega Capitalhas promoted one of its most experienced property finance bankers, Noni Martin, to the role of General Manager as it experiences unprecedented growth. Martin steps into the new position, taking over from Omega founder, Scott Massey, who will remain as Managing Director of associated company Alpha First Mortgage Investments. Omega Capital is one of the largest regionally based companies in the commercial mortgage broking industry. The business has exper...