10 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS NOVEMBER <strong>2023</strong>
NOVEMBER <strong>2023</strong> Playing pass the parcels WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS 11 ADVERTORIAL So, what does the change of Government really mean for you? A <strong>Waikato</strong> couple have gone head to head with New Zealand Post – what’s it all about? Roy Pilott reports. Dani and Ian Kennedy fear for their company’ future. The next stage of a festering row over postal deliveries is days away as Justice Gault prepared to release a ruling on an injunction bid. Te Awamutu couple Ian and Dani Kennedy are challenging New Zealand Post’s plans to change delivery services and introduce a Multi Run business model. The couple say they have invested significant money and their company, Three Hills Group Ltd , is protected by a contract, while New Zealand Post is attempting to change who can deliver where. In particular, the company wants to make changes in rural areas which are being swallowed up as towns and cities expand. One such case is the outskirts of Hamilton, where the RD3 run Dani and Ian Kennedy maintain is, they say, under threat. They were in the High Court in Hamilton last month challenging the change – now they are waiting to see whether or not their injunction application succeeds. Their case is backed Pro Driver Advocates whose chief Peter Gallagher said the latest edition of the company’s communique discusses the idea of “one network” for one person to deliver both mail and parcels to each address. “What this is saying is what we have been stating all along – that the contracted right for an exclusive run is only as exclusive as NZ Post decides it is – and this is definitely not what these RD guys have been paying big money for.” The Kennedys are well known in their RD community – when a parcel is dropped off, they send a text message to someone in the home. Gallagher says the couple invested almost $500,000 in their run four years ago, and New Zealand Post wants to terminate their contract to make way for a multi run courier business model and increase its use of CourierPost deliveries. The court has been told the couple were the victims of a marketing strategy which was entirely for the benefit of NZ Post “and its culmination was in the dismembering of urban fringe rural delivery routes”. Gallagher says mail is declining, but there is an increase in parcel fright – and that is where future profit lies. Dani and Ian Kennedy updated their customers last month with a “we need your support” flyer outlining their concerns and inviting them to tick a box to indicate their support. It says the new One Network model was announced with no consultation with existing operators. Look before you leap… Two <strong>Waikato</strong> centres have tapped into an app which enables users with specific needs to “call in” ahead of their visit. Cerge is a communication platform which assists people with disabilities. In its promotional material Belgravia Leisure says “as an individual with a disability, imagine having an exceptional guest experience every time you visit your local leisure centre, simply by using an app to alert the venue ahead of time of your service preferences.” It says the facility is now available in five centres around New Zealand and 30 venues in Australia. The New Zealand centres are the Gallagher and Huntly aquatic centres in <strong>Waikato</strong>, Mount Albert Aquatic Centre, Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre and Trust House Recreation Centre in Masterton. The Cerge app is free and allows users to alert customer service staff to their needs. Belgravia says it provides an access pathway. “This includes personalised greetings, express check in or skip the queue, having accessible equipment set up before arrival, arranging guided tours pointing out accessible features and any other tailored experience necessary to allow the guest to have an exceptional experience, all whilst removing the guesswork for staff to provide these services.” The platform can also provide virtual tours where visitors can explore venues in advance and audio guides powered by A.I. Belgravia Leisure operates more than 230 venues across New Zealand and Australia. “Launching Cerge in Belgravia Leisure’s New Zealand venues is a significant step towards our mission of making leisure venues more inclusive and accessible,” the company’s Disability and Diversity Manager Jeff Walkley said. If we look at the respective policies of ACT, National and NZ First, there’s a lot of commonalities. They include: • Cancel the planned fuel tax hikes which would have added another 12 cents per litre of petrol. • Repealing the Ute Tax will be a boon for farmers and the large <strong>Waikato</strong> motor industry. • Start reducing public sector expenditure by 6.5% on average by requiring CEOs to identify back-office spending not critical to frontline services. • Establish a permanent Rural Regulation Review Panel to assess regulations affecting the primary sector in order to cut red tape. • Introduce legislation to restore 90- day trial periods for all businesses. • Begin work on establishing a National Infrastructure Agency and issue a draft Government Policy Statement on Transport reflecting new Roads of National Significance and public transport projects. • Begin work on National’s Going for Housing Growth policy, to expand housing supply, build infrastructure and give councils flexibility to deliver. • Introduce legislation mandating approval of building materials and product systems meeting international standards equivalent to New Zealand’s. • Repeal the RMA 2.0 legislation and introduce a fast-track consenting regime. • Repeal of the Three Waters legislation. And, even if NZ First does come into a formal coalition arrangement, there are things they are keen on that would be good for business. Such as: • On infrastructure and logistics, Connect - Grow - Inspire - Represent Don Good, CEO of <strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber of Commerce. they want the medium-term focus to be on infrastructure that improves productivity. A new Ministry of Infrastructure will be tasked with determining an optimal investment programme to provide greater investment and employment certainty for private sector contractors. From the <strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber’s perspective, there have been three projects we wish to see the new government start ASAP. The first is complete the Cambridge to Piarere extension of the <strong>Waikato</strong> Expressway. The second is the University of <strong>Waikato</strong> Medical School. It is an investment in our regional NZ health and well-being. The third is the big Southern Links project which gives the <strong>Waikato</strong> region a huge economic boost. So, a lot of positive changes that will make it easier to do business, both here in the <strong>Waikato</strong> and around the country. We look forward to the proposed mini budget before Christmas which will give us clear direction as to what the new Government wants to achieve.