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The Westpac McDermott Miller survey of households showed economic confidence in the Bay of Plenty plunged over the March quarter.
Confidence slid seven points to minus 14. With no major developments in the region's key industries, the report put the slide down to Omicron and cost of living increases.
Looking
ahead, the industry outlook is solid for the kiwifruit sector, assuming
labour shortages don't bite too much.
"Meanwhile, forestry prices have recently stabilised after falling from mid-2021.
"Looking forward, it remains to be seen whether the key industry outlook, along with easing Covid restrictions, will prove enough to outweigh inflation concerns in the eyes of the region's households."
New fruit packing technology cuts packhouse labour needs
An "intelligent" robotic fruit-packing machine is proving to be a game-changer for post-harvest operators around the globe.
Global Pac Technologies has officially unveiled the Aporo II robotic produce packaging machine, which builds on the proven technology of the original Aporo I Produce Packer, first developed in 2018.
The latest model aims to pack 240 fruit per minute, saving between two and four labour units per double packing belt.
Director of Jenkins Group Cameron McInness said Aporo II can be retrofitted across two packing belts instead of one.
"So it has effectively doubled the throughput and the labour-saving that Aporo I could deliver."
Jenkins Group is a New Zealand-based company which co-founded Global Pac Technologies with US-based Van Doren Sales Inc. The group also owns Jenkins Freshpac Systems Ltd, a packaging company based in Tauriko.
"We've been rolling out this new machine with some key customers globally and the results have been dramatic," McInness said.
"One of our Australian customers built a new packhouse and installed three of our Aporo IIs. That increased their packhouse production by 30-40 per cent and reduced their labour by 50 per cent.
"Automating the process of placing fruit into trays then allows post-harvest operators to redeploy their scarce labour resources to areas where they can add more value."
McInness said Aporo II's dual robotic heads were more consistent and reliable than human packers.
The technology was now being used in France, the UK, Sweden, Belgium, the US, Australia and New Zealand – primarily to pack apples, and now stone fruit like peaches and nectarines. Work is underway to extend its use to other fruit varieties in the future.
McInness said Aporo I and Aporo II were designed for simple autonomous packing.
"The machine is very intelligent. It looks at the fruit, orientates the fruit and doesn't need to be told what type of trays you're using – it just looks and finds the pockets. It's really powerful technology.
"Its internal vision system, or 'neural network', is continuously learning to adapt to different fruit varieties and improve performance over time. It features automatic tray pocket recognition for any tray type and the touchscreen interface is very intuitive and easy to use. Not only will it orientate and place fruit the right way on the tray, you can also ask it to find the best colour on the apple and spin that side up. It's very clever."
Since Aporo I's initial launch in 2018, more than 100 packing belts have had the technology deployed on them worldwide.
McInness said a strong pipeline of orders has already been received for Aporo II.
"We have a couple of big growth opportunities in California right now and we will be meeting with distributors and customers at Fruit Logistica (5-7 April 2022) in Berlin to show what Aporo II can really do."
The Aporo I and II packers have been developed by Bay of Plenty agritech business Robotics Plus. Global Pac Technologies was then formed as a joint venture to sell the technology to the global market.
HOBEC celebrate Partner promotion
Bay of Plenty-wide law firm Holland Beckett Law has announced the promotion to partnership of two of its associates, Leesa Speed and Georgina Smith, effective from April 1.
Leesa and Georgina collectively hold more than 35 years of legal experience in New Zealand and abroad.
Leesa joined Holland Beckett Law's Family Team in February 2015 and has practiced for more than 20 years both here and in Australia. She specialises in resolving post-separation relationship property disputes, family violence applications, parenting and guardianship matters, adoptions, care and protection of children, child support and claims arising out of wills and estates. Leesa has made many appearances in the Family, District and High Courts and is on the panel of Lawyer for Child.
Georgina carries more than 15 years of legal experience and joined Holland Beckett's property and commercial team in October 2014. She advises on a range of matters including loan and security structuring, commercial leasing, property developments and conveyancing. Georgina began her legal career at Gault Mitchell Law in Wellington then spent time in the corporate legal team of a housing association in London.
TECT Community Awards winners announced
The winners of the TECT Community Awards have been announced online.
Youth Spirit Award winner Quinn Boyle is well known in the community for his open water swims – raising over $3000 for charities last year.
Boyle, 16, has also been volunteering at Bay of Plenty schools, Paengaroa and Otamarakau primary schools, taking swimming lessons, coaching sports teams and supporting tamariki with their reading.
Boyle is also a member and volunteer surf lifesaver, patrolling and fundraising for the Pukehina Surf Rescue Club.
Quinn said he felt honoured and surprised to be chosen as the winner of the Youth Spirit Award.
"I didn't expect much back for the work I've been doing, but to get this award just feels amazing."
His advice for other youth interested in volunteering is to follow your passion.
"Find something you're passionate about and use that to give back to your community – for example, me and my swimming."
Bill Webb said he was "humbled and honoured" to have won the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Webb runs Good Neighbour's Fruit Picking Team and rescues whatever is seasonal with his dedicated team of fellow volunteers.
"It's a reflection on the status of Good Neighbour these days – it's grown from very small beginnings seven years ago to an organisation with hundreds and hundreds of volunteers and I am but one of those."
Bill is also extremely dedicated as a volunteer at Tauranga Hockey Association.
The People's Choice Award went to YWAM Ships Aotearoa – Trinity Koha Dental Clinic.
YWAM Ships Aotearoa's central purpose is to empower a healthy future in the Pacific through the use of the YWAM Koha to provide medical and dental services.
However, with the borders closed due to Covid-19, and aware of clear health inequities right here in Aotearoa, the charity pivoted to use its resources to help those with little access to oral health services at affordable prices in the Bay of Plenty, setting up the fully volunteer-run Trinity Koha Dental Clinic.
The clinic ran for five weeks in the Western Bay, supporting over 500 people with their dental needs.
YWAM Ships Aotearoa managing director Marty Emmett said it was a real honour to also win the Heart of the Community Award.
"We are just really honoured and grateful to TECT for this award.
"Looking forward, we want to keep doing more – we feel obligated to carry on delivering these dental care services to the most vulnerable. So our goal is to scale it, to do more, build more partnerships and be able to serve more people."
Generation Homes joins the Plunket national sponsorship family
Bay of Plenty building company Generation Homes has announced it has become a Whānau Āwhina Plunket sponsor.
Generation Homes chief executive Kevin Atkinson said the sponsorship was a "perfect fit".
"Generation Homes' purpose is to build homes for generations and everything Whānau Āwhina Plunket does is to support Kiwi whānau and their tamariki to thrive."
The national sponsorship partners Whānau Āwhina Plunket with Generation Homes in the eight regions where its new homes are being created for families – covering Northland, Auckland North, Auckland South, Waikato North, Waikato Central, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Rotorua and Kawerau, and Christchurch.
Generation Homes will give families a small gift of baby milestone cards covering the special moments from one month to one year as part of their initial Plunket Well Child check.
Whānau Āwhina Plunket chief executive Amanda Malu said she was "thrilled" to have the support of Generation Homes.
"We are all about making sure whānau are thriving, and we are delighted to have Generation Homes on board as a generous sponsor. The pandemic has been tough on charities and this is welcome news for us.
"The support from Generation Homes helps make sure Whānau Āwhina Plunket can continue to be a steady, compassionate presence for families, whānau and caregivers, in person, virtually, or by phone."
Comvita partners with Save the Kiwi
Comvita has partnered with conservation organisation Save the Kiwi, in a sponsorship agreement that aims to provide more safe habitats for the iconic birds across the North Island.
Starting with Makino Station, home to one of Comvita's mānuka forests in the Manawatu-Whanganui region where kiwi already reside, the ambition is that over time Comvita's properties will become kiwi-safe habitats.
The partnership will see the implementation of predator management plans on land managed by Comvita that will enhance biodiversity and provide kiwi safe habitats to help the endangered population and other native flora and fauna thrive.
Save the Kiwi executive director Michelle Impey said partnering with Comvita was a new and exciting approach for kiwi conservation.
"Effective predator control is central to successful kiwi conservation, and creating sanctuaries that are free of stoats, ferrets and other predators is extremely intensive work.
"Comvita owns a number of properties, many of which are already home to kiwi. It's so exciting to work alongside and educate them about how we can help the taonga species thrive in the future."
Comvita will provide annual support for these initiatives, including the purchasing and oversight of traps at its properties. In addition, it will provide opportunities for its staff to personally connect with Save the Kiwi as part of its focus on supporting communities and nature in need.
Comvita chief executive David Banfield said the partnership takes meaningful steps towards fulfilling the company's responsibility as a business.
"Everything we do at Comvita is guided by our founding principle of Kaitiakitanga, or guardianship and protection over nature, and this underpins our work to create these sanctuaries that will, in time, enable kiwi to flourish..."
Prime beachfront property mooted for residential development
A large section of prime beachfront land in Mount Maunganui is up for sale.
The 1856sq m plot at 27a The Mall currently hosts a long-running motel accommodation business trading as a going concern. The land is zoned high-density residential under the Tauranga City Council Plan.
The property is being marketed for sale by tender, with tenders closing on April 27.
Bayleys Tauranga salespeople Rory Brown and Sharon Hall said with the property currently operating as a popular motel, holding income could be generated while redevelopment plans for the site were drawn up for submission to Tauranga City Council.
"Very rarely do landholdings come up for sale in this strip of Mount Maunganui – and certainly very few of this size and development scale," said Hall.
"As Tauranga's population and economy grow, so too does the demand for premium addresses to live in. They don't get much better than this outstanding location in The Mall at Mount Maunganui, which has less than 50 residential properties along its beachfront.
"Early feedback we have had from prospective buyers on our database who have looked at the property through a development lens is that the site in its current scale could be easily subdivided into three or four good-sized sections capable of sustaining some very large homes.
"There is, of course, also the option of retaining the land in its current size, and having a substantial high-end home built which would make it one of the most expensive singular residences anywhere in Mount Maunganui. The permutations of its future use are numerous."
Latest property sales data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand shows median property values in Tauranga City reached a record peak in February at $1.1 million - up 21.5 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year. In February 2021, the median house price sale value for the city was $905,000.
The power station will use geothermal fluid to generate electricity.