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Young Innovator Awards 2022 launches
The 2022 Young Innovator Awards launched virtually this week.
The awards, which launched virtually on March 24, offers local students from Years 7 to 13 the hands-on chance to develop an innovative product or service that solves real-world problems.
Top entries win internships with local businesses, giving students the chance to gain valuable work experience and engagement, and insights to take their innovations to the next level.
This year, Priority One is aiming to recognise as many entries as possible by increasing the number of opportunities for work experience and is looking for more businesses to come on board to offer this.
Priority One's Instep manager Andy Howells says the benefits of participating in the yia! programme is two-fold no matter how big or small the business.
"Businesses are using yia! as a talent attraction tool when recruiting from outside the region, it's appealing to parents with school-aged children who could benefit from the exposure to design thinking and innovation.
"Being involved as a business also provides team members with valuable experience too - exposing them to young minds keeps the creative juices flowing – and that's what it's all about."
Digital consultant for engineering firm Beca Jeremy Wright says in a rapidly changing world, the ability to keep pace as a business is directly proportional to the influence of the next generation.
"Where young people are provided with the opportunity to have that influence and share their perspective, businesses have an equal opportunity to learn and adapt."
Tauranga City Council's community development team came on board for the first time in 2021 and its team leader, Dani Jurgeleit, encourages organisations that embrace innovation to support the programme.
"It was a privilege for us to be a sponsor in 2021. The insight, passion and effort demonstrated by our rangatahi in their well-considered entries showed an incredible commitment to the social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of our communities."
Aquinas College yia! teacher Jenny Livingstone says it has been life-changing for some of her students.
"Our students have begun to see themselves as genuine innovators and have realised that their ideas are not just another school project, but good enough to develop into a saleable product.
"Also, many had not realised there are so many great career opportunities with innovative companies in the Western Bay, like Robotics Plus and Ram 3D – right on their doorstep."
Patchy house price falls starting to appear
New Zealand's housing market has reached a clear turning point, as stretched affordability, higher mortgage rates and reduced credit availability cause growth rates to slow, a new report says.
CoreLogic NZ's interactive Mapping the Market Report has begun to show signs of weakness in dozens of suburbs.
The report shows 154 suburbs have recorded falls in median values in the three months to February 2022, while 581 posted gains of 1.0 per cent or more for the period.
CoreLogic NZ's chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said the report showed an emerging weakness in parts of Auckland, Hamilton, Napier/Hastings, Wellington, Kapiti Coast, Dunedin and Queenstown.
"But conditions remain a bit stronger still in areas such as Tauranga, Christchurch, Rotorua, New Plymouth."
Fordlands (Rotorua District) recorded the highest percentage growth in the quarter, up 15.4 per cent to a median value of $457,850.
Davidson said a soft landing is still more likely than a major downturn, but the market will need to adjust to some economic uncertainty and higher mortgage rates.
"Buyers and sellers will naturally take some time to agree on where the new market normal lies, which will result in broadly flat housing prices at a national level – but falls in some areas offset by rises elsewhere."
Te Arawa Fisheries posts strong financial year
Te Arawa Fisheries has increased its total revenue by more than $10 million and posted a $9.3m surplus in the past 12 months, despite grappling with Covid-related challenges for a second year.
Chief executive Chris Karamea Insley puts the successful result down to sound investment decisions and a future-focused business strategy, which is opening new doors for the iwi-owned fisheries group.
The 2021 Te Arawa Fisheries Annual Report, released ahead of today's virtual annual general meeting, highlights the group's impressive financial gains, as well as a number of significant new projects launched in the past year.
In the 2021/2022 financial year, Te Arawa Fisheries achieved total revenue of $14.8m – a significant increase from the $4.4m posted the previous year.
While its total expenses were $1.7m higher than the previous year, Te Arawa Fisheries still posted a net surplus after tax of $9.3m – an $8.8m increase from the 2020/21 financial year.
Insley says Te Arawa Fisheries is incredibly proud to deliver a surplus for whānau in what has been another challenging year impacted by Covid-19.
"The past 12 months have been defined by Te Arawa Fisheries' ability to deliver and progress our ka pu te ruha strategy, creating an active, resilient business focused on growing and diversifying our assets.
"Covid-19 has continued to challenge businesses worldwide – particularly in the export and retail sectors, however, our organisation has treated these obstacles as opportunities.
"We have explored new ventures such as the development and distribution of our Hī mussels, invested in professional development and grown our work arm, Te Arawa Mahi, which helps whānau into employment."
Insley says the organisation is actively exploring new ventures to secure the business' viability in the face of external pressures, such as climate change, over-fishing and new regulations.
"We have made significant progress transitioning from a passive operation to an active one, from volume-based to value-focused and introducing a way of operating that reflects our four pou: Tangata, Taiao, Tikanga, and Tahua.
"This includes identifying and moving into new markets – an avenue we are pursuing with the export of Hī into Australia, Europe and America, as well as securing meaningful partnerships with the right people, at the right time.
"An example of this is the significant science-based partnership we have entered into, joining our Waiariki iwi with research and technology institutes to advance large-scale collective iwi aquaculture developments.
"While many organisations are finding themselves in a holding pattern while Covid-19 runs its course, Te Arawa Fisheries is growing, adding its voice to high-level discussions and progressing exciting new products.
"Te Arawa Fisheries is a living example of how we, as iwi organisations, can embody our values and harness our mātauranga Māori to create enduring and successful business models."
First Zespri Kiwifruit charter vessel sails for Japan
The first 1.15 million trays of this season's Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit left Port of Tauranga last week bound for Kobe and Tokyo in Japan, marking the start of Zespri's 2022 shipping programme.
The MV Solent Star was the first of a planned 72 ships set to deliver a crop estimated to be over 190 million trays of fruit to Zespri's global markets.
Zespri chief global supply officer Alastair Hulbert says demand for Zespri Kiwifruit is incredibly strong across its global markets.
"We're looking at exporting more than 115 million trays of SunGold Kiwifruit and around 70 million trays of Green in 2022, and this season also marks our first commercial volumes of Zespri RubyRed Kiwifruit which will be available to consumers in New Zealand, Singapore, Japan and China."
But Hulbert says while global demand for kiwifruit remains strong, the industry is facing a number of headwinds this season given the ongoing impact Covid-19 is having on labour availability.
"We know this season is going to be particularly challenging given the significant labour shortage we have and the continued disruption Covid-19 is imposing on our global supply chain.
"The labour shortage will place significant pressure on the industry and it will challenge our ability to get all of the crop picked. Our focus remains on looking after our people and doing everything we can to safely pick, pack and ship as much fruit as possible.
"This will include working closely with our long-term shipping partners to navigate the congestion we're seeing amongst global shipping networks."
Hulbert says, in total, Zespri expects to undertake four charter sailings to North Europe, 12 to the Mediterranean, six to the US West Coast and 50 to Zespri's Asian markets, and to send around 20,000 containers of kiwifruit this season.
"The continued use of charter vessels will be important in our ability to avoid much of the congestion we're seeing at container ports, and we're also looking at new options this season such as partnering with T&G Global to co-ship fruit to North America.
"This reflects the growing demand we're seeing for our fruit in the region, and our first liner will depart in late April."
Health coaches help businesses lesson Covid impact
For many businesses, the struggle of losing staff to Covid and its ongoing impacts is very real.
But Tauranga-based holistic health coaches Steve and Heidi Jennings say there is a beacon of light in the form of holistic nutrition and immunity workshops delivered online.
The coaches, who are helping businesses lessen the impact of Covid-related health issues through workshops over Zoom, say staying safe and healthy is not difficult, but the correct knowledge is crucial.
"A lot of people don't know how to protect themselves from the lasting effects of the pandemic.
"We are seeing widespread illness from not only Covid but also ongoing symptoms such as fatigue which are affecting people's ability to go to work and be productive."
"On top of this, we are also coming into cold and flu season, which is going to compound things even further."
They say vaccination has been important to reduce rates of serious illness, but very little attention is being paid to how to increase natural immunity at the same time.
"Being vaccinated but then weakening the immune system with things like high-fat diets and alcohol is not going to offer adequate protection from ongoing health problems.
"Businesses are already suffering financially, then add the cost of staff absenteeism, a drop in productivity and over-worked staff picking up the slack, and the outlook becomes even more dire."
The Jennings' 60-minute Advanced Holistic Nutrition and Immunity Workshops teach business owners, their staff and families how to build holistic immunity through the five functional pillars of health and keep them well over the long term.
Kiwi-founded app raises funds for Ukraine Appeal
An international social impact start-up that gamifies bucket-list fitness challenges has raised more than $360,000 ($US250,000) for Save the Children's response to children impacted by the Ukraine crisis.
Mount Maunganui-based company Conqueror Virtual Challenges mobilised its global community to donate $US500,000 in just one week in support of Ukraine.
The proceeds will be split between Save the Children and Red Cross and go towards providing life-saving humanitarian aid. More than 15,000 people signed up in support of its 'Stand with Ukraine Virtual Challenge Fundraiser'.
Save the Children New Zealand chief executive Heidi Coetzee says the donation will provide essential humanitarian aid, including food, water, warm clothes, shelter and safe spaces for the millions of children impacted by the crisis.
"The Conqueror Virtual Challenges community is showing children in Ukraine that they are not alone.
"We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the thousands of people who have taken part in the challenge...
"These funds are much needed..."
Conqueror chief executive and co-founder Adam El-Agez says with a big part of the team based in Romania, and bordering Ukraine, they felt compelled to help their neighbours.
"We have an incredible community of more than 150,000 people. Many of them reacted immediately to our call and joined the challenge. The amount raised exceeded our wildest expectations. The organisations we donated to are working around the clock to help individuals and families on the ground."
The 36-mile challenge allowed participants to virtually explore landmarks of Kyiv in order to honour the city through The Conqueror mobile app. Integrated with Google Street View, users advance on a virtual map and are able to see their surroundings as they log distances.
To date, Save the Children New Zealand has raised almost $700,000.
"If you’re loyal to them, they will be loyal to you."