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BayTrust announced an investment of $2 million to support YouOwn's co-ownership programme in the Bay of Plenty earlier this year.
Now, YouOwn is announcing Credit Union Baywide as the home lender for the co-ownership programme.
Credit Union Baywide is a 100 per cent New
Zealand-owned financial co-operative,
and like BayTrust, a not-for-profit.
Originally established in 1971 as Whakatu Freezing Works Employee's Credit Union, and following a merger with NZCU South, NZCUCentral and ACU in 2019, Credit Union Baywide has grown to 21 branches and a strong online presence supporting Kiwis across New Zealand.
"New Zealanders are interested in exploring different ways of getting into their first home
and co-ownership is another way we are supporting them," says Andrew Quayle, Credit
Union Baywide general manager of sales, marketing and channels.
YouOwn is a privately funded organisation established with the sole purpose of delivering a co-ownership product to New Zealanders.
The co-ownership arrangement substantially reduces the size of a deposit people need to save when applying to Credit Union Baywide for a home loan.
"Co-ownership solves the deposit gap for people who can afford to service a home loan over the long term but can't save enough to get started," says Nigel Spratt, executive director of YouOwn, and manager of the Bay of Plenty fund.
• Applications are via YouOwn's website www.youown.co.nz or through approved financial advisers.
Bay of Plenty spending through Paymark by the core retail merchants, excluding food, liquor and hospitality, jumped more than 5 per cent over Black Friday and the following three days compared to a week earlier.
Nationwide spending jumped 22.7 per cent in the same period and spending still managed to exceed that of the same four days last year by 3.9 per cent. The increases were across a wide section of retailers.
Likewise, the within-month spending jump occurred throughout New Zealand for the Black Friday four-day weekend but not as much as last year in some regions.
Noticeably, spending among this group of merchants was below year-ago levels in Palmerston North, Marlborough, West Coast, South Canterbury and Otago. The annual growth rate was highest in Nelson and Wellington.
Cyber Monday rounds off four weeks of November when early Christmas shopping starts for many. Nationwide spending among the above-mentioned core retail, excluding food, liquor and hospitality, merchants has risen 3 per cent through Paymark.
Over the same four weeks, spending has also increased 6.2 per cent through food, liquor merchants. However, spending has declined 0.8 per cent through food and beverage services merchants, 37.2 per cent through accommodation merchants and 10.2 per cent through non-retail merchants.
He might be the youngest guy on the team, but engineering apprentice Phillip Peters' outstanding attitude and dedication have seen the talented 21-year-old named the 2020 winner of the prestigious Stuart Tolhurst Cup.
The award celebrates the achievements of an engineering apprentice who has shown good work ethic and initiative and is well-deserved by the Bay of Plenty-based learner. It was presented at a ceremony at the recently held annual National Maintenance Engineering Conference in South Auckland.
In the third year of his New Zealand Apprenticeship in Mechanical Engineering, Phillip is employed by Apprentice Training New Zealand (ATNZ).
Through ATNZ, he is placed into host company Ballance Agri-Nutrients, where he learns on-the-job alongside their experienced staff.
"His performance is up there with the tradesmen – some of them don't even consider him an apprentice any more. Nothing's a problem for him," said Tony Clark, maintenance coordinator at Balance's Mount Maunganui site.
"He's a quiet achiever... He's a sound apprentice and has gone from strength to strength in his training and development. He likes to get stuck into the job and when he encounters problems, he thinks things through."
Peters said he was proud of what he had achieved and wants to help others do the same.
"The future for me is handing on the skills I've learnt to someone like myself – a young apprentice. I put my all into my apprenticeship," he said.
"It's not just a qualification, it's a life skill for me. Winning the Cup is a life-changing event – something that's going to back me for the rest of my life."
Jo Brierley, Peters' account manager at ATNZ, nominated him for the award.
Tauranga Crossing will soon be welcoming the Tauriko Pub Co to its growing list of hospitality options for locals.
Positioned opposite Event Cinemas on the first floor of The Observatory, owners Travis and Sandy Ferguson have created a modern pub that celebrates delicious New Zealand cuisine, supporting Kiwi producers and suppliers.
Tauranga Crossing centre manager Andrew Wadsworth said the Tauriko Pub Co promises good times all round for the whole family.
"We're thrilled to add another fantastic food and beverage option to the growing selection on offer for locals at The Observatory."
Co-owner Travis Ferguson said he can't wait to open the Tauriko Pub Co.
The opening date is yet to be revealed.
A newly-renovated Tauranga backpackers has been rewarded with a Qualmark 5 star silver Sustainable Business Award.
Sarah Meadows, who owns the business with partner Matt Young, said the award meant they were the only 5-star hostel in the Bay of Plenty.
"Wanderlust NZ is committed to protecting our beautiful natural environment, enhancing connections with our local communities, while also delivering a quality, safe experience for all visitors.
"This is a real example of a Tauranga business working hard to lift the quality of the Tauranga CBD and working hard to bring in people and vibrancy to our city centre."
For the first time in 16 years, the Rotorua Business Chamber annual Business Excellence Awards has a vacancy for a new naming sponsor.
Established in 2005, the annual event has grown from an initial 40+ entries and 200 attendees, to 60-plus entries and 725 attendees at the 2020 awards held in October.
The awards had been sponsored by Westpac Rotorua since its inception. But after what both parties describe as a "mutually productive relationship", the bank has stepped down from its role to focus on other business priorities.
Chamber president Kiri Tahana said with all the changes 2020 has brought, the chamber had taken the opportunity to build on the successes of this year's awards and take them to a new level in 2021.
"The changes made this year due to Covid-19 were extremely positive and resulted in the highest number of entries and attendees to date. The black-tie event is widely recognised as one of the most strongly supported business awards event of its type in NZ per capita and we want to continue that momentum.
"We understand the impact Covid-19 has had both on the personal and professional front and we want to ensure there will be something for everyone."
As a result, the chamber has reviewed and refreshed its award framework and categories and has now opened the door for a new naming rights sponsor.
"This is a unique, once-in-16-years opportunity to headline the Rotorua Business Awards, which makes a significant contribution to everyone in our business community. It's an exciting time," Tahana said.
Sponsorship benefits are negotiable but will include brand promotion throughout the year, award dinner tickets, full naming rights, speaking rights at the event, chamber membership and an ex-officio membership position on the chamber board.
The awards and event process is managed by the chamber and supported by more than 20 other local partners, sponsors and participating parties.
The official awards programme starts in May, and entries are open until July 31. A team of independent judges work under a code of conduct to provide a professional, confidential and unbiased assessment of entries.
Tahana says the naming right sponsorship opportunity is open to any local businesses as well as any national organisation that has a strong presence and operation in Rotorua.
Interested parties should submit their interest by 4pm, January 29.
"We want to partner with a business who is confident in helping us deliver a streamlined awards programme that adds value to everyone involved and provides the credibility and integrity that promotes Rotorua on a national stage."
• For more details or to receive a copy of the EOI document, contact ceo@rotoruachamber.co.nz
It's the iconic bird on our $10 note – and by donating just three bills to a hunter-led conversation group you can play your part in helping protect this rare New Zealand species.
Formed by ecologist and project coordinator Sam Gibson, Eastern Whio Link is a volunteer group of hunters and fishermen from across the Bay of Plenty who are committed to protecting the whio / blue duck based in the Waioeka Gorge and wider Eastern Bay.
This highly endangered endemic species is susceptible to attacks from stoats at key times in its life cycle: during nesting (August to November) and moulting (February to March).
To help combat this and increase the whio's chances for survival, Eastern Whio Link is offering "stocking filler" sponsorship opportunities in time for Christmas.
A $30 donation sponsors one Good Nature self-resetting trap for a year. There is also a higher sponsorship tier of $300, which covers a 1km line of traps – enough to protect a whio's home range (the area where it lives, feeds, breeds and plays).
Gibson says this is the first time they have run the initiative, which is an opportunity to raise much-needed funds and awareness of the group's conservation efforts.
"We're very fortunate to have a great volunteer support and sponsors to help us do what we do, and in our first year we've achieved some great results for the whio population where we have been trapping – all the pairs in the project have chicks. We have a big vision to grow the area and we need more resources to do this."
A crew of more than 60 volunteers helped set 300 traps around Waioeka Gorge. But while they have had success in their first year, the long-term vision is to grow the project and connect whio populations from Te Urewera, up the East Coast to Te Araroa.
• To donate to the Eastern Whio Link and sponsor a trap, pay your donation into the Eastern Whio Link bank account [38-9019-0892185-02], using your name as a reference, and send a follow-up email to Sam on sam.gibson@landcare.org.nz to confirm the name for the certificate. Each donation will receive an electronic Certificate of Sponsorship that can be made out to the person you are gifting it to.
Experienced and balanced elected members, competent staff motivated to serve the public, and strong iwi partnerships are three areas highlighted in the CouncilMARK™ Independent Assessment Board's (IAB) latest report on the performance of Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
CouncilMARK™ is an independent assessment programme that assesses how councils are performing and is designed to support individual councils to improve the service and value they provide. Councils receive an overall performance rating from the Independent Assessment Board, from C to AAA, as well as commentary on their performance.
In awarding the council a BBB grade, the IAB has praised the council for its strong spirit of public service, the operation of its "Quayside" investment company and diversification of investment, and its ambitious programme of environment improvement.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council chief executive Fiona McTavish says she has valued the focus on council performance and assessing where the council is working well and areas for improvement.
"It is nice to be recognised as having one of the strongest iwi co-governance arrangements of any council, and a cohesive culture among both councillors and staff that is driving solutions for the region's challenges."
She says there are always areas the council can improve on and the IAB has highlighted those, even where the council is finding success.
CouncilMARK™ IAB chair Toby Stevenson says the next step is for the council to increase its performance measurement and accountability to further show their ratepayers what they are getting for their rates.
"The other key improvement they should look at is better risk assessment. Yes they are doing well financially, but strong investment risk analysis is recommended to ensure that this continues," he said.
"Very few councils can match Bay of Plenty's efforts in partnering with local iwi, and they should be an example for all other councils."
The Rotorua hospitality industry has acknowledged those who have been influential and
made a significant contribution to the hospitality industry in response to 2020's Covid-19
pandemic with the announcement of the Rotorua Resilience Awards winners.
Presented by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand and Association partners Eftpos NZ, OneMusic and RA Lexis ComplyHub, the awards recognise those people and businesses that have gone above and beyond to keep their people employed, help their communities and keep their businesses alive all whilst playing their part in stamping out the virus.
The RA Lexis Comply Hub Local Hospo Hero award is one of three categories and was
awarded to Ray Singh, of Indian Star Tandoori Restaurant.
One of Rotorua's longest-running restaurants, Indian Star Tandoori Restaurant is on Eat Streat. Owner Ray Singh was nominated for his relentless commitment to the local industry and for his involvement in charity events, especially during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The award for Eftpos NZ Outstanding Innovation was won by Matt Cooper, from Social Eats.
The OneMusic Outstanding Community Spirit went to Scope Cafe Rotorua.
"Over the year we've been overwhelmed by some of the stories we've heard: of people and businesses around the country with amazing community spirit, those who have innovated and changed, and those who have found silver linings in the most challenging of times," Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said.
"It has never been more important for diners to get out and try the fantastic array of local
dining spots, so we hope these awards inspire the Rotorua community to support their locals."
The winners were announced online on December 7.
Michele Hunter reviewed the new Bites of the Bay tour. Here are her thoughts.
Domestic tourism is booming and Mount Maunganui business Taste of Plenty wants Kiwis to experience some of the world-class cuisine being produced on their doorstep.
Tour guide Kathrin Chappell described the company's new "Bites of the Bay" tour as a celebration of "nice local people doing what they have a passion for".
There is certainly a pioneering Kiwi-ness about seeing food producers, who have faced a trying year, preparing for a booming summer in the Bay.
The loss of cruise ship passengers and international visitors to the Bay means the tours now target Kiwi foodies.
Owner Ian Holroyd says the shift to domestic-only tourism has led to some fantastic new opportunities.
Launched this month, Bites of the Bay is designed as a team builder for corporate groups or a Christmas do during the silly season. It's also something "off the eaten track" for locals to enjoy with their visitors over the holidays.
"The locals don't see half of what's in front of us, they'll just go to their destination," Chappell said. "There's people coming from all over the world to be here."
First stop on our tour is Mount Made, a central Mount Maunganui ice creamery born in a food truck.
Locals Glenn and Deb opened the ice cream parlour in October, having shifted from "Our Place" in Tauranga, selling handmade ice cream featuring local ingredients.
Among the mouth-watering selection, I enjoyed a refreshing mid-morning scoop of caramel, almond and coconut – divine.
"I think it's a good spot for summer, perfect timing – it couldn't get any better," Glenn said.
A couple of minutes down the road and we're at a real hidden gem of the Bay – Colony.
With sister shops in Wellington and Auckland, "honeymeisters" Plimmer and Kris are continuing Kris' family business.
Beekeeping is in Kris' blood and the couple have chosen the Mount as home, packaging all their honey in Tauranga.
Kris' father was a pioneer of honey infusions. Previous generations started the family's first retail honey shop in Thames in 1868.
All of Colony's products, including beauty products, gifts and mead liqueurs, are produced in New Zealand.
After a tasting, I can't help leaving with a jar of their clover honey, sourced from Wedderburn in Central Otago. But Plimmer tells us a lesser-known treasure, pōhutukawa honey, is sourced at Mount Maunganui Golf Course. Light on the palate, "it's the champagne of honeys", he says.
Back in the coach and we're off to a Mount "foodie" industrial complex where we find Brazilian-born couple Bruno and Amanda – founders of The Snag Co.
These two are growing a popular meat business in the Bay.
"They do it from the heart and with passion and you taste it in the food," says Chappell, who met the couple at the Mount Farmers' Market.
With a well-established selection of sausage flavours they are now working on cured meats. "I like to do everything the old-fashioned way," says Bruno, who went to culinary school in Brazil.
After working in Queenstown he saw an opportunity for a specialty meat business in the Bay and is now realising his culinary dream, having custom-built a kitchen inside a shipping container at their industrial unit
The couple have a shop open selected hours in York Avenue.
Next on the tour is a chocolate factory. Needless to say, it's a popular stop for the 12 women (and two men) on board our coach.
Solomon's Gold make chocolate from cacao beans and coconut sap with no dairy, gluten, nuts, soy or refined sugar. The health-conscious Kiwi's dream, it's a proven superfood, rich in anti-oxidants.
The family-owned business source their beans from the Solomon Islands and have a zero-waste philosophy, which involves sending the husk from their beans to Australia to be made into tea and the wooden pallets the bags of beans arrive on are made into tables.
With a range of flavour infusions, this dark artisan chocolate is well suited to the rich chocolate lover. It's "real chocolate", Chappell tells me.
Solomon's Gold also team with cafes / restaurants and food producers who infuse their chocolate into other food products.
Last stop on this tour for the tastebuds is Leveret Estate winery, near Katikati.
Here we enjoy a varied wine tasting and amazing locally produced cheeses and nibbles, which are all inclusive in the tour.
The animal was euthanised after ripping through a wire fence.