Waikato Business News | March 1, 2024

14 MARCH 2024
‘We need a 100 year plan’
Commerce follows arterial routes and that was illustrated last month when the Northern Infrastructure Forum
met at Hautapu alongside the Waikato Expressway. Senior writer Mary Anne Gill was there.
Strength in numbers and
consistency in messaging
have been identified as
the key requirements for a new
group which wants to advocate
for the upper North Island on
infrastructure issues.
The Northern Infrastructure
Forum – which describes itself as
a voice for the upper North Island
– drew business and transport
representatives from Northland,
Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s
Bay and Waikato in Cambridge last
month.
The venue was C & R
Developments in Hautapu which
has grown rapidly as a business
and commercial district since the
Waikato Expressway opened and
following Waipā District Council’s
change to its District Plan enabling
more industrial development there.
Waikato Chamber of Commerce
hosted the forum which was
established by the Auckland
Business Chamber last year.
Waikato chief executive Don
Good told attendees once-in-a
generation decisions had arrived.
“We want connected decisionmaking;
we want the North Island
connected.”
The forum would need to lobby
government and councils for
a comprehensive North Island
expressway network and each
member would have to be as excited
about a road in Kerikeri as in their
own region.
“Think NZ Inc,” he said.
There had been heavy
politicisation of infrastructure in
the past and for things to change, a
30-year plan had to be put in place
Taking it in at the Northern Infrastructure forum were from left: Chris Webb (Chris Webb Contracting), Peter Nation (NZ
Fieldays Society), Roger Gordon (Waipa District Council), Jacqui Church (Waikato District Council mayor), Robert Dol
(Colliers), Pamela Storey (Waikato Regional Council), Mark Morgan (Waikato Regional Airport), Cathy Balvert (Morrinsville
Chamber of Commerce), Jimmy Ormsby (Waitomo Energy).
Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
and that plan was not just about
tinkering and fixing potholes.
The forum comprises members
from Northland, Auckland, Waikato
and Bay of Plenty but membership
needed to be expanded to broaden
the focus from Auckland to include
the whole of the upper North
Island where 65 per cent of New
Zealanders live, he said.
The cost to join the forum is
$7500 a year for medium
enterprises, small businesses,
chambers and not for profits and
$20,000 for larger corporates.
The fee would support proactive,
sustained, impactful research and
advocacy programmes, the forum’s
presentation said.
By becoming a voice for upper
North Island infrastructure, it
would be a think tank rather than
a lobby group. It would hold local
and central government to account
without jeopardising political
relationships.
Forum coordinator Barney
Irvine said research the
group commissioned last year
illustrated the economic benefits
of the Cambridge to Piarere
and Warkworth to Wellsford
Expressway developments.
The research conducted by the
New Zealand Institute of Economic
Research (NZIER) showed that if
those roads went ahead, they would
contribute almost $1 billion to New
Zealand’s gross domestic product
every year.
The Cambridge portion
would be $487 million and the
Warkworth one $497 million.
Long term improvements included
reduced travel time, greater
freight efficiencies, fewer travel
disruptions and improved access
for regional economies connected
by the corridors.
“But if we want a highway
network to withstand the beating
that took place a year ago (flooding
and Cyclone Gabrielle), we need a
100-year plan,” said Irvine.
The government was prepared to
listen to groups like the forum and
was open to public-private funding
options, said Good “because they’ve
got no money.”
Hawke’s Bay Chamber of
Commerce chief executive Karla
Lee said her region realised the
importance of working together last
year. “That’s when we were made
an island.”
In advocating to Government
and opposition parties after the
cyclone and flooding, Hawke’s
Bay businesses stuck to the main
subject which remained the same –
roading and infrastructure.
By acting as one body, their
messaging became stronger, she
said.
Other research the forum wants
to look at in the next 12-18 months
include congestion charging – a
way to ease congestion by charging
road users at various times or
locations – alternative funding and
financing, an upper North Island
highway strategy and electricity
infrastructure.
Waikato mayor Jacqui Church
welcomed the forum saying the
country of five million people
needed to get over themselves and
make a 100-year strategic plan.
As an example, decarbonisation
of the vehicle fleet would drive
electricity demand and it was
uncertain whether the country
could cope.
Roading, water, growth and
energy all go together as priorities,
she said.
Northland Chamber of
Commerce president Tim Robinson
said chambers were able to bring
more value if they did so together.
“If we’re divided, we won’t get
what we want.”
Strawberry fields – not forever
We look at the path followed by
Meta Tyrell in setting up the LM4
business recruitment group.
It was picking strawberries
more than two decades
ago that led to Meta
Tyrell’s foray into business
and the success of a
recruitment businesses.
In her early years, she had
a career in real estate, but
the demanding nature of the
industry took a toll on her.
She switched to horticulture,
initially picking strawberries,
and it led to the establishment
of a family business.
Tyrell began assembling
a team of pickers for
horticultural jobs and it grew
to be 37-strong, primarily
comprising people from
Pacific communities.
The idea for a recruitment
business emerged after an
older member of her picking
crew began struggling to
complete tasks. Tyrell started
to explore opportunities for
full-time employment beyond
seasonal picking work.
It marked the beginning
of her foray into recruitment,
focusing on helping Māori
and Pacific people secure fulltime
roles.
She approached
businesses to build
relationships and eventually
helped 34 out of her 37 crew
members find full-time jobs.
But the project failed and
she voluntary bankruptcy
and sought husband Lesa’s
assistance to establish Alignz
Recruitment. His finance
and accounting background
was a valuable contribution
to the business and they
navigated a challenging
financial period, learning
about charge-out rates and
profitability.
“There were huge lessons
learnt along the way. But
ultimately, we wanted to
carry on finding pathways
into work for people,” Tyrell
said. “So, when I talked to
my clients all of them came
over to Alignz; they valued
the relationship we had with
them and believed in me.”
She says it’s those people
who, when they run into
her in the supermarket,
are thankful. Many are still
working in the same places
and have been promoted
The LM4 group, from left, Analisa Misa, Myka Asiata, Isabella Tyrell, Aliitaeao (TJay) Asiata, Felila Feausi, Meta Tyrell, Steven Misa,
Lesa Tyrell, Alana Tyrell, Lua Sao, Sam Nonoa.
along the way.
Three years ago, her third
child, TJay Asiata, returned
to New Zealand and took on
the role of chief executive. He
set about restructuring Alignz
and formed LM4 Group,
overseeing subsidiaries
Alignz Recruitment, Puatala,
which delivers industry skills
training, and Oyonnx, which
helps build capabilities of
SMEs. He also did his Master
of Business Administration.
LM4 Group now has offices
in Hamilton, Auckland,
Tauranga, Christchurch,
plans to expand to Wellington
and has opened an office in
Apia, Samoa.
“It hasn’t been the easiest
ride, but we’re so proud of the
growth of LM4 Group. And
we want other Pasifika and
Māori businesses to know
they’re capable of doing some
innovative projects that are
making a meaningful impact
on the lives of the people we
train, put into jobs, and help
grow their businesses,” Asiata
says.
Tyrell’s journey was
recognised with the 2023
Legacy Award from the
Waikato Pacific Business
Network.
“I really encourage Pasifika
and Māori businesses to take
the leap, to give it a go in
business,” she says.
LM4 Group, “100 per
cent Samoan-owned and
operated” has more than
450 contractors, almost 50
full time staff and almost 100
clients at Oyonnx.
• Supplied copy.