Business Digest: Bay of Plenty salespeople awarded in RateMyAgent awards

Papamoa OneRoof Property Report. 28 January 2021 Bay of Plenty Times Photograph by George Novak RGP 17May21 - BTG 17May21 - There were 261 properties sold in Tauranga in April and 91 in Rotorua - the highest sales in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / George Novak BTG 17May21 - There were 261 properties sold in Tauranga in April and 91 in Rotorua - the highest sales in the Bay of Plenty. Photo / George Novak

Bay of Plenty salespeople and businesses have been named in RateMyAgent’s 2023 awards.

The ninth annual awards ceremony was held this month in Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate Australia and New Zealand’s top real estate salespeople.

RateMyAgent is a New Zealand review website and provider of digital marketing solutions for real estate salespeople.

The RateMyAgent Agent of the Year Awards are based primarily on customer satisfaction and acknowledge those who have been the most consistently recommended by New Zealand vendors.

RateMyAgent chief executive officer Michael Davey said the awards acknowledge agents in the industry who go above and beyond for their vendors.

“Performance-based reviews are the qualifier towards receiving an Agent of the Year Awards. To win this means to have received the highest satisfaction rating across the country from their transactions in the 2022 calendar year. We know that every one of our winners is tremendously proud of achieving.

“We congratulate the winners and nominees of 2023 and look forward to another fantastic year across our industry and the continuation of lifting the bar for a great customer experience.”

Liam Layland from Powers Bay of Plenty was awarded the 2023 Rising Star Award.

The top 100 real estate agents and real estate agencies in New Zealand, according to the award winners, also included Brent Bastin from Tremains Bay of Plenty, Lee Stringer from Powers Bay of Plenty, Jason Eves from Oliver Road Bay of Plenty, Nicholas Meloni from Eves The Lakes, Kale Kirk from Ray White Bayfair, Charlotte Gardner from Eves Papamoa, Patrick Stegeman from Ray White Mount Maunganui, and more.

The 2023 Top 100 Agency of the Year Award winners included Tall Poppy Real Estate Bay of Plenty, Powers Realty, Tremains Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty Taupo, Professionals Rotorua, Eves Mount Maunganui, and Oliver Road Bay of Plenty.

For a full list of winners, visit www.ratemyagent.com.au

New appointments to Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa leadership team

Rotorua’s Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa’s deep connection to Ngāti Whakaue has been entrenched further with the appointment by Belgravia Leisure of three new members of its leadership team.

Rania Sears (Ngāti Whakaue / Ngāti Pikiao / Tainui / Taranaki) has been appointed general manager and Miri Morrison-Hare (Ngāti Whakaue / Tūhoe / Ngāti Manipoto) as cultural and guest experience manager.

Jeanette Haua (Ngāti Ranginui / Ngāi Te Rangi / Ngāti Pūkenga) has also been appointed as spa manager.

Rania Sears has been appointed general manager of Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa. Photo / Supplied

Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, developed and owned by Pukeroa Oruawhata Group (Ngāti Whakaue), will be managed by Belgravia Leisure. The spa’s authentic wellness and spa experience combines the region’s healing geothermal waters with the centuries-old legacy of Ngāti Whakaue culture, healing practices and manaakitanga (caring hospitality).

The three key leadership appointments by Belgravia Leisure mark a significant milestone for the development, with the much-anticipated luxury wellness spa set to open on the newly transformed Rotorua lakefront later this year.

Belgravia New Zealand general manager Mark Blake said the company wanted to employ the best possible people for the job.

“Following an extensive recruitment process we are delighted with the calibre of Rania, Jeanette and Miri and the expertise they bring to Wai Ariki.

Miri Morrison-Hare has been appointed as cultural and guest experience manager. Photo / Supplied

“Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa will soon be on the global spa and wellness stage and I can’t think of a stronger group of leaders to ensure that we deliver on our promise of authenticity, quality and therapeutic benefits.”

The trio began with Belgravia Leisure for the Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa in February.

Jeanette Haua has been appointed as spa manager. Photo / Supplied

New World Whitianga Deploys Waka Kai to Coromandel

Foodstuffs North Island has been delivering essential supplies into cyclone-affected regions by truck, Unimog, helicopter, and now - boat.

Waka Kai, a nine-metre vessel owned and operated by New World Whitianga, has been sailing across the Coromandel, delivering essential goods to communities that have been left without access to grocery stores due to damaged roads and other infrastructure.

The team has been visiting nine different areas including Opito Bay, Kuatotunu, Matarangi, Whangapoua, Kennedy Bay, Cooks Beach, Hahei, Tairua, and Pauanui.

Chief executive of Foodstuffs North Island, which is behind Pak’nSave, New World, and Four Square, Chris Quin said it was committed to serving communities through its local family-owned store.

“We understand access to essential goods is critical during times of crisis. Waka Kai is an important contributor to our efforts to support the Coromandel region during this difficult time.”

New World Whitianga deploys Waka Kai to deliver groceries to cut-off areas in the Coromandel. Photo / Supplied

Waka Kai is stocked with a range of essential grocery items, including fresh produce, dairy, meat, and other household essentials. The team has been working closely with local authorities and community groups to identify areas in need of support, and to coordinate the delivery of goods to those who need them most.

Kerry Stanley, owner-operator of New World Whitianga, said it first introduced Waka Kai in 2019 as a summer offering to help locals and holiday-makers beat traffic.

“After the cyclone, as soon as it became safe, I wanted to get Waka Kai out on the water to check people were ok and to help resupply our cut-off communities.

“To give you an idea, there’s about 500 people who live at Cooks Beach which is just 3km from Whitianga by sea, compared to 35km of road that’s now full of slips.

“Our first day was quite emotional and challenging. We had debris to get through and were the first people from the ‘outside world’ some of these communities had seen or heard from for four days.”

Stanley said the communities did not have any internet access so they were taking “pen and paper orders” instead.

The co-op will continue to monitor the situation in the Coromandel, and will work with local authorities and community groups to provide ongoing support where it is needed most.

Entries open for NZ Certified Builders’ Annual Apprentice Challenge

Entries are open for the NZ Certified Builders (NZCB) annual Apprentice Challenge.

Apprentices nationwide are encouraged to get their entries in before the March 17 deadline for its annual Apprentice Challenge Sponsored by ITM.

The regional heats of the competition will be held in multiple locations across the country on April 1, with great prizes up for grabs and the winner of each going on to compete for the coveted title of national champion in May.

All apprentices that compete in the regional heats will receive an ITM prize pack and additional prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third place-getters.

Regional winners also win an all-expenses-paid trip to the national final, held at the NZCB Annual Conference and Expo in Christchurch, where they compete for the Ken Read Memorial Trophy and $50,000 worth of prizes.

NZCB industry pathways and apprenticeship manager Nick Matthews said there was a lot of anticipation for this year’s competition off the back of record participation over the past couple of years.

“We are always impressed by the calibre of apprentices competing and it’s a really great opportunity to celebrate and support the next generation of builders.”

A week before the regional heats, competitors will be advised of the project they are to build. On the day of the heats, each competitor will have eight hours to complete that project using durable, trade-quality timber and materials courtesy of ITM.

The finished projects must meet minimum safety standards and will be judged by a panel of experienced building practitioners and industry educators.

Apprentices can enter by visiting apprenticechallenge.nz and filling out the entry form. Entries must be received by March 17.

Western Bay joins national programme to get young people in jobs

Imagine all young people under 25 engaged in appropriate education, training, work or positive activities in their communities – that’s the goal of a new programme rolling out in Te Puke and Maketu.

Western Bay of Plenty mayor, James Denyer has joined the programme – Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs - adding the region to a nationwide network of mayors, working together to get all young people aged 16 to 25 working, training or contributing to their communities.

Other councils in the Taskforce have created initiatives that have seen more than 380 people placed into apprenticeships, enabled 500 people to gain their driver licence, and supported 700 education and training opportunities.

According to a recently released study from the Salvation Army, the Bay of Plenty has the highest proportion of young people not in employment, education, or training in Aotearoa, so this programme has some work to do (in June 2022, 18.7 per cent - or 6500 - of 15- to 24-year-olds in the region were not in education, employment or training).

The Western Bay version of the programme will be focussed on helping youth in Te Puke and Maketu where there were more than 400 young people unemployed, or not in the workforce, according to the 2018 Census.

It complemented the existing youth employment programme ‘Katikati Poutama - Pathways for Rangatahi’ already in action at the western end of the district.

Western Bay Mayor James Denyer, meets with the new Mayor’s Taskforce For Jobs co-ordinator, Davina Edwards.

The new Taskforce team will be working closely with existing local providers, and partnering with Colab, a group of social sector organisations based in Te Puke. The partnership will ensure that the Taskforce builds on their existing good work.

To assist the Western Bay mayor in making the Taskforce goal a reality, a new coordinator Davina Edwards, has joined the team.

Edwards’ role will be focussing on tailoring the Taskforce’s mission to Western Bay communities and connecting communities with opportunities. She will be helping to create paths and remove the barriers between young people and education, training, and jobs.

Denyer said the district was so full of opportunities just waiting to be seized, but the city’s young people can be stopped at the first hurdle.

“Often it’s something we take for granted, like having access to driver licensing and testing, that blocks people from working towards their goals.

“I’ll be working with Davina to understand what we can do to remove those hurdles, and be an advocate for our young community.”

For Edwards, tailoring the solution to the community and its needs was the key to success.

“I’m new to the Western Bay and I’ve spent the last few weeks making my way around the rohe speaking with our communities and tangata whenua. Our district is rich with cultural diversity and that strong social fabric is something we can tap into to build successful programmes.”