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Chamber announces Business Awards finalists

The finalists in this year’s Waikato Chamber of Commerce Business Awards, supported by Foster Construction Group, were announced last night at an event at Waikato University’s The Pā, with 21 businesses named in the line-up.Head judge Dr Heather Connolly of Waikato University’s Management School said the panel of 29 judges was impressed with the quality of the finalists.“We were also pleased to see the number of entries up on last year, with a total of 76 entries this year. The calibre ...

Confident Waikato Chamber Members

The results of our recent survey are in. They revealed over 50% were confident in their own businesses being able to grow over the next 12 months and, interestingly, a solid 80% had increased their prices in the past 12 months.There was general dissatisfaction amongst members on the current state of the New Zealand economy, its direction and economic performance, with over 40% expecting the economy to decline over the next 12 months.There was wide support for more doctors and nurses, more expres...

Te Huia – by the numbers

With Te Huia back in the news we researched up-to-date data from the Minister of Transport during Parliamentary question time on July 3.Financially we have significant concerns when the operating loss for the past 11 months is $5,716,504, or an operating subsidy of $88.31 per passenger.It is an expensive transport trial that shifts an average of 245 passengers a day when the Waikato Expressway moves 25,000 people in the same period. Here are the figures.For the 11 months to 31 May:Patronage...

The Magic (or not!) Roundabout at Piarere

Even the most hardened transport scientist would concede that flyovers are superior to roundabouts for allowing vehicles to change direction at an intersection of roads.Flyovers do not stop or slow traffic; they let it flow, saving time, emissions, fuel, driver frustration and avoiding the opportunity for an accident. They are so much safer than a roundabout.Take the excellent flyover just north of Pokeno, on the very busy corner of State Highways 1 and 2. It is the perfect example, and it has b...

Local Government reform

The Local Government Review panel has published its report. It cannot be left on the shelf to gather dust. Local government has been starved of funds and given too much extra responsibility with no cash to fund it.Their recommendations must be implemented.Central government should always ensure local government is prudent and uses taxpayer funds wisely. Accordingly, there needs to be an ongoing process of reasonable amalgamation to get economies of scale, funding and regionally connected project...

Congestion charging and Southern Links

I came across this Stuff article over the weekend, The case for introducing congestion charging, and thoroughly recommend it as the basis for a debate Hamilton needs to have on traffic. It highlights Singapore where the electronic congestion charging toll system works very efficiently. They manage to juggle traffic for 5 million people living on an island the same size as Lake Taupo. The future may require people to use public transport as much as possible and, for many people, paying conge...

Could 3D concrete printing be the answer to New Zealand’s housing crisis?

As we drove up to the site it looked just like any other building site you would see in New Zealand, but as we would soon find out, was for the first commercial building made with 3D concrete printing technology in the Southern Hemisphere.The end result would be a childcare centre, and came about through a partnership between two Hamilton-based Chamber members: Iconic Construction and QOROX.Johnny Gordon and Nick Lane of Iconic, the GM and Partner, respectively, had planned to build the centre t...

In Memory of Mavora Hamilton

Mavora passed away on June 17, and the Chamber owes her a debt of gratitude for the groundbreaking work she led as Chief Executive after taking over from May Woodcock in 1993. Her appointment alongside the election of Gail Jones as first woman President of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce in 1992, and the earlier election of Margaret Evans who reigned as Mayor from 1989 to 1998, heralded the arrival of women as business leaders in the Waikato.They certainly shook up the place with initiatives tha...

Prudent financial management

It is our money they invest on our behalf for the benefit of our community as a whole, so we should insist on prudent and accountable investment - not willy-nilly spending.Balancing the books and living within your means will be the focus we put on our elected and bureaucratic officials over the next three years.Ratepayers and taxpayers will have less discretionary income as businesses cope with economic headwinds, made up of interest rate rises, wage and salary increases, supply chain issues wh...

Handpicked deals for Chamber members from 2degrees

2degrees are proud to share values with the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce believing that when Kiwi businesses thrive, so does New Zealand. Take a look at some of the exclusive deals available to Chamber members below.Double Data for 12 months and $400 off any device over $999 on interest free when joining a Business Choice Carryover $58 and above plan. Plus as a Chamber member, you will also receive 20% off the life of your plan.Broadband to boost your business. Receive 4 months free as well ...

We're excited to be launching two new free initiatives for our members.

If you have missed one of our events, you can now catch up on our events on-demand on our new video platform powered by Shift72! Most of our events will feature on here, and we’ll also be uploading interviews with experts to keep you informed on important issues and help you & your business grow.All videos will be free to view for our members, so create an account today at connect.waikatochamber.co.nz.  Want to save money? You can now access our alliance partners' and member...

New Zealand’s first Parental Leave register launched by Crayon

The register allows businesses and parents-to-be to have a common place to find parental leave policies from over 180 companies, covering 1 in 6 employed New Zealanders. This is the first register globally to have verified information at a level of detail that can truly help expecting Kiwis plan for one of life’s biggest changes.Crayon Founder, Stephanie Pow understands the importance of transparency between employers and parents to be. "We have always been clear that the register would not be...

The rise of electric vehicles continues

What is mind boggling is the commitment by major brands to lead a paradigm shift from oil burners to electric power. History will judge the speed with which the industry has pivoted, and note the speed of technological advancement. It is a speed that has been fired along by aggressive new brands building EV options from the ground up not hampered by the demands of continuing old technology to satisfy their shareholders.With range anxiety reducing as battery technology advances, what has cau...

Economic growth from investing in arterial routes

Like a lot of Waka Kotahi’s projects, the idea for Southern Links has been around for decades. With the huge success of the Waikato Expressway and the prosperity it conferred on Cambridge and Ruakura, this project delivers similar opportunity for the Waikato, unlocking as it does the Southwest of our region to Te Awamutu and potentially the King Country.The current government has not achieved any significant economic growth from its focus on trains; perhaps a pivot to Southern Links is long ov...

Event reacp: Inspire with Jane Searle

We are grateful for the sponsorship of our Inspire series by Vision Complete Earthworks and the hosting by Ryan Hamilton.Watch a replay of the full interview with Jane on our video platform, or read a summary of the interview below.It's an incredibly sobering fact, but a child dies from abuse every five weeks on average in New Zealand – one of the highest rates in the OECD.This was one of the many insights Jane provided to the audience on the state of child abuse and protection in Aotearo...

Update on The Sleepyhead Estate development at Ohinewai

Earthworks for stage one of The Comfort Group’s Sleepyhead Estate at Ohinewai are now complete, and construction of the company’s foam manufacturing facility on site is well underway and set to be complete in Q3 2023.The 6076m² factory will be New Zealand’s largest foam manufacturing plant and will be operational in early 2024, at which point it will employ 15 people. It will supply 100% of The Comfort Group’s foam for the company’s bedding manufacturing operations in New Zealand.&nbs...

Welcome to the Chamber: Danielle Quigg

Hey Danielle, welcome to the team, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?Originally from the Bay of Plenty, growing up in Rotorua and Te Puke, I moved to Hamilton to attend The University of Waikato in 2017. Graduating with a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Public Relations and specialising in Event Management at the end of 2019. I enjoy being challenged, keeping busy and creative tasks. Over the last year, a large portion of my spare time has been spent running my own small busine...

Event recap: Westpac Smarts – end-of-year financial focus on the Waikato region

We were fortunate to have two economic experts speak to our members, one from the academic world and the other a familiar face on our TV screens: Michael Cameron, Professor of Economics at The University of Waikato, and Brad Olsen CE and Principal Economist at Infometrics.Many topics were squeezed in to the 45-minute session, so instead of attempting to provide a summary of what was discussed, you can see in bullet point form below all the key points from the event.You can also watch a replay of...

The three “diseases” that are destroying our once world class health sector

Doctors & nurses. We do not have enough, and they are disappearing.When the NZ Rural Health Network chair Dr Fiona Bolden claims “it is not too dramatic to say we are seeing a collapse of health services in rural areas,” we need to wake up and take notice and act.AgeThe numbers tell a stark story of age:·         Median age of all GPs is 54 with 14% over 65.·         One third plan to retire within five sho...

Event recap: Emerge with Shane Marsh from Dosh

With a lot of talk recently in the news about banking, digital disruption, crypto and blockchain, it was very timely to have Shane Marsh, co-founder of New Zealand’s first digital wallet Dosh, talk at our latest Emerge event for Waikato young professionals on March 23.The global trends in financial innovation and how far behind New Zealand is, how Dosh is disrupting financial services in New Zealand, and Dosh’s startup journey and what it takes to challenge a market, were all covered off.Wat...

The A word. Amalgamation

The Waikato Chamber has advocated for a serious discussion about the potential for amalgamation of our region’s councils for years now. A rational discussion grounded in data and driven by a desire for better productivity, reduced bureaucracy, and the drive to do better by the community as a whole. A discussion that considers evidence-based information from the likes of Auckland’s Supercity merger where we drill into what’s worked there – and what hasn’t.In 2018, then-Chamber CEO Chris...

Rebuilding our highways for tomorrow’s needs

As we start to turn our minds to the long and very difficult rebuild effort following the terrible weather events of recent weeks, one of the most pressing questions is: how can we ensure that we are better prepared in the future?Because the depressing consensus is, these events will be a more regular feature of our lives, and those of our children and grandchildren.I’ve spent a lot of time discussing this question with colleagues in the Business Chamber network in the Upper North Island and, ...

Event recap: Westpac Smarts – Building workplaces where women thrive

We are grateful for the sponsorship of Westpac of the Westpac Smarts series. And to our MC for this event, Senga Allen, Founder and Managing Director of Everest People, and the panelists, Reuben Tucker, General Manager of Institutional and Business Banking at Westpac, Rachel Karalus, Chief Executive, K'aute Pasifika Trust and Vanessa Richmond, General Manager, Philips Search and Rescue Trust.Watch a replay of the panel discussion on our video platform, or read a summary of the event below....

Local Government rates and investment for our future

As always local councils debate furiously the percentage increase in rates they need to fund their activities. For years a toxic combination of pet project spending and a need to be re-elected have compromised business-like sensible rate setting.This is the first year of a new electoral cycle; it is a year when councillors should have a razor-sharp approach to council overheads and the funding of non-essential operational spending. In the Waikato’s case it is also a year when they should look ...

Event recap: Inspire with Erana Severne

We are grateful for the sponsorship of our Inspire series by Vision Complete Earthworks and the hosting by Ryan Hamilton.Watch a replay of the full interview with Erana on our video platform, or read a summary of the interview below....