Page 12 - HW September 2019

hard news
Bits & pieces
ROVE Bill in train – The Vocational Education Reform Bill has now been introduced into Parliament. The Bill establishes the radical new vocational education system already covered in these pages in-depth. The changes will come into force on 1 April 2020 followed by a transition period until 31 December 2022 and potential learners and apprentices are being encouraged to enrol as normal.
GIB streamlines deliveries – GIB recently announced upgrades to its delivery service, particularly relating to its text ETA system for deliveries to site. The number of delivery-related texts has now been reduced and replacement of board that’s damaged on delivery has also been sped up to 24 hours on notification by the delivery driver. Other enhancements to GIB’s delivery services are also in train.
Oamaru goes MEGA – According to the Otago Daily Times, construction started on the new $18 million Oamaru Mitre 10 MEGA last month. On a site between Dee and Ribble Streets, the new 6,000m2 store is expected to open early next year and will employ an 20 extra staff, bringing the workforce to 60.
Heater grants now in place – July saw grants for energy efficient heaters become available as part of the Government’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme. The new grants will cover two-thirds of the cost of efficient wood burners and heat pumps, up to a maximum grant of $2,500 and be in addition to home insulation which has been funded through the programme since July last year. To be eligible for insulation and heater grants, homeowners must have a Community Services Card or live in a lower-income area and in most cases their homes will need to have ceiling and underfloor insulation installed before qualifying for a heater grant.
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Movers & shakers
BRYAR FAAMALEPE HAS come on board with Build People as the new Office Manager. Her role is to make sure the busy office is running smoothly. With a very laid-back nature and can-do attitude, Bryar fits in perfectly with the Build People team.
Yvonne
Saunders has also joined Build People
as a recruitment specialist looking after the hardware division. With a strong and successful history working in the building and hardware sectors across various sales/ marketing and management roles, Yvonne understands the hardware and merchant channel intimately and has already proven
to be a great addition to the Build People team.
Derek Heard, General Manager for Trade for Mitre 10, is the Building Industry Federation of New Zealand’s new Chairman. A founding member of the Construction Strategy Group (CSG) and the Construction Industry Council (CIC), BIF represents the interests of New Zealand’s building industry manufacturers, merchant suppliers of goods and services, importers and marketers with a turnover level at retail in excess of $5 billion. Julien Leys, the Chief Executive of the Building Industry of New Zealand (BIF), says the organisation is delighted to have Derek as its new Chairman given the extensive industry experience he brings and his involvement on the BIF Board over several years.
Paddy O’Sullivan has joined Futurebuild LVL as an Architectural Specification Consultant. With a solid background in construction management, architectural design and specification, Paddy will work closely with architects and designers
to assist with accurate and fit-for-
purpose specification of the full range of
Futurebuild LVL products into both residential and commercial building projects.
Carl Taylor was recently named Co-operative Leader of the Year by Co-operative Business New Zealand as “an individual who has shown significant co-operative leadership”. Builder Carl is co-founder of building supplies start-up, Combined Building Supplies Co-operative (CBS). Celebrating its first anniversary, CBS has brought together more than 160 small-to-medium- sized businesses so that their combined spending means bigger discounts for the co-op’s members.
10 NZHJ | SEPTEMBER 2019
MORE AT www.hardwarejournal.co.nz