Phillipa Tocker, Executive Director for Museums Aotearoa, admits the first joint conference between Museums Aotearoa and Museums Australia is “quite a step up for us”. The inaugural Museums Australasia is set to take place 16-18 May 2016 at the Aotea Centre, Auckland, attracting predominantly New Zealand and Australian museum and art gallery professionals, as well as some Pacific museum colleagues.

“We keep having to revise the numbers as we are getting such an enthusiastic response. The New Zealand conference usually attracts up to 260 people and we are expecting at least 500,” Tocker says. “We have received nearly 200 proposals for content and we’re now having to wrangle that into three days. That’s a really good challenge to have, people obviously want to be involved.”

She says one of the main reasons for this is the high-level education - with keynote speakers from the US, Canada, Australia and Singapore - and networking opportunities happening close to home. “This is a chance to attend a fully-fledged educational and personal development conference without the expense and time of going offshore. That can’t be underestimated. We are in non-profit organisations in a non-profit environment, so funding for these opportunities is always tight. Usually fewer than 10 from New Zealand go to Museums Australia. The greater the number of New Zealand museum professionals able to learn in an international context, the better for our industry. This is a real opportunity to make connections.”

The theme for the 2016 event is ‘Facing the future – local, global and Pacific possibilities’. Tocker notes: “The idea of what a museum or gallery is now differs from even 10 years ago, so we need to think differently about how we adapt and develop. On both sides of the Tasman we agreed as a profession we have things we can learn from each other and have shared challenges to negotiate. By talking to each other we can all do it better.”

The confidence to go ahead

The initial suggestion of holding a combined event grew out of a conversation at breakfast at a Museums Australia conference a few years back. But Tocker says support from Tourism New Zealand helped give them the confidence to make the leap.

“Museums Aotearoa only has two permanent staff, so it was quite a big challenge for us. We appreciated the support from the Conference Assistance Programme (CAP) to know we could make it work. We had to make the numbers stack up. We had assistance from Tourism New Zealand and the Auckland Convention Bureau to work out the budget and whether we could afford to do it, and what we could offer in terms of logistics and programme content. We received marketing support and help with our bid document, as well as help finding a PCO, as our annual conference had not been at a size where we needed to use one before.

“The CAP also helped fund some trans-Tasman airfares and accommodation. I presented our bid at a Museums Australia council meeting and they agreed in principle to go ahead. Then a colleague and I went to Museums Australia in Sydney this year to have more in-depth discussions on content. Tourism New Zealand helped us there, too, with an updated presentation and marketing collateral to promote the 2016 event - including postcards and chocolate fish, which went down well!

“As well as the cash to make the connections it was good to know there was someone who said ‘you can do this, and here are all the ways you can step up from something lower-key and in-house to a whole new level’. Having that support meant we had the confidence to go ahead with it.”

New Zealand’s great work on show

Tocker adds that the benefits go beyond individual members, too. “This event is good for the profile of museums in New Zealand. Individual institutions get media coverage but this is an opportunity to show our collective strength - particularly in terms of central and local government, our primary stakeholders in terms of funding. It will show that we are a mature and professional sector making a successful contribution in its own right.”

The programme will include education and keynote presentations at Aotea Centre, then in-house presentations at local museums and galleries to showcase local innovations. Pre and post extended tours will also take place, as well as an indigenous hui for Maori, Pacific and Aboriginal attendees. “Other countries look to New Zealand as a model of bicultural engagement within the business and content of museums,” Tocker adds. “People are very interested in how that works and why it works. Also, because we are relatively small, we are not overburdened with bureaucracy so we are quite nimble and we can be very responsive and innovative. This is a great opportunity to show the great work we've been doing here as well as looking at and learning from the fantastic work happening in other places.”

For further information about Tourism New Zealand please visit www.businessevents.newzealand.com

The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHA) is questioning the rush to sign the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement and says there remain too many unanswered questions; too much public unease; and a palpable lack of detailed analysis for us to be adding our signature so quickly.

“We may be flattered to have been selected as the country where the TPP will be signed in February, but that shouldn’t distract us from the very real questions and concerns around this agreement,” says PHA Chief Executive Warren Lindberg.

“Disquiet has been prominent in the news of late, coming from a number of fronts including copyright and education. This indicates that full analysis of just what this agreement will cost the

various sectors has not been done.

“There has also been very little legal or academic analysis or commentary. The document amounts

to 6000 or more complex pages and has been public knowledge for far too short a time for proper

analysis, so why we’re so hell bent on signing is perplexing.”

Media reports indicate the US Congress is not likely to sign the TPP it until after federal elections in

November and indications are that US lawmakers will want substantive changes.

“Even if you don’t accept that the TPP is already a potential time bomb for New Zealand, it just

doesn’t make sense to sign an international agreement that could well change to our detriment,”

Lindberg says

Instead the PHA is suggesting New Zealand takes the valuable few months it still has and that the

agreement be sent to Select Committee so thorough public and political analysis can take place

before anything is signed.

“There has been no official opportunity for people to comment, or for issues specific to New Zealand to have been analysed in detail,” Lindberg says.

“Considering the widespread and substantial misgivings around the TPP and the time we have up

our sleeve, there is nothing to stop us doing this.”

Lindberg says arguments that most of the population is happy with the agreement, or that those

opposed are just anti-trade, are either seriously misinformed or disingenuous. He says the PHA and others are in favour of international trade where it doesn’t impinge on the real or potential

wellbeing of New Zealand’s people.

“We’re most concerned with the health implications, such as the cost and accessibility of

pharmaceuticals – and other issues that would impact our health system and how we combat

inequalities here at home. These are real issues we’re struggling with even before this deal becomes a done thing.”

Lindberg says the ISDS clauses which can be used by multinationals to sue governments also remain a serious concern, with the latest example being energy firm TransCanada Corp suing the Obama Government for its withdrawal from an oil agreement.

“We may think that barring big tobacco from using the ISDS clauses has put the issue to bed. It

hasn’t, and there remain plenty of other multinationals prepared to further their own interests at

the expense of smaller economies like ours – such as big pharma, big food and big energy.

“If we act in haste now, the repenting we do at leisure may well be very unpleasant. The Government has both the time and the means to ensure the TPP is more thoroughly examined and

should not waste what opportunity there is left.”

This media release was directly sourced from the Public Health Association of New Zealand website here. 

Contact: Warren Lindberg 021 165 7920

Applications for funding from the community grants schemes administered by Horowhenua District Council have opened.

The Horowhenua Community Development Grant, Community Consultation Grant and the Creative Communities Grant invites applications for round two of the 2015/2016 financial year, closing at 5pm on Monday 29 February.

The Community Development Grant provides local non-profit organisations with funding for events, projects and operating costs. $25,000 is available in this funding round.

The Community Consultation Grant provides funding to resident and ratepayers associations. $5000 is available in this round.

And, the Creative Communities Grant is a national scheme, funded by Creative New Zealand and administrated by local government authorities. It provides arts funding to local groups and individuals. $15,325 is available in this round.

Applications for all of the grant schemes must be for projects or costs that begin from April 2016 onwards.

Horowhenua District Mayor Brendan Duffy says that all three community grant schemes are a vital contributor to not-for-profit organisations operating in the District.

“We have a tireless volunteer community here. November’s Civic Honours awards ceremony was an excellent reflection of that. These grants are just one way we operate to support the immeasurable work of our non-profit sector on an ongoing basis,” Mayor Duffy said.

For criteria and to download application forms for any of the grant schemes, visit www.horowhenua.govt.nz/grants

This media release was directly sourced from Scoop NZ website here. 

Certified Builders Association of New Zealand has gone one step further than recent law changes that enhanced consumer protections for building work, by introducing mandatory building guarantees. This move comes in advance of a decision by the Government about whether regulations on mandatory building guarantees are needed.

Certified Builders Chief Executive, Grant Florence, says, “Certified Builders isn’t waiting for the outcome of the Government’s review of this issue as part of the wider liability framework, because we believe mandatory building guarantees are in the best interests of both consumers and our members. The reality is the expectations of homeowners have changed significantly over the past few years and there is a need to drive greater accountability within the building industry.

“As a trade association, Certified Builders is focused on promoting best practice and setting a high standard of professionalism within the industry. We’ve moved to introduce mandatory guarantees because it’s the right thing to do, and because it will provide maximum peace of mind for homeowners and our member builders,” said Mr Florence.

The Building Act reforms that came into effect in January 2015 included a requirement for there to be a written contract for residential building work over $30,000, as well as requirements around disclosure of guarantee products and warranties for defective work, but stopped short of introducing mandatory building guarantees.

“Under the current system, consumers may not fully understand the guarantee product they are purchasing or may even engage a builder without a guarantee, resulting in loss of cover.

“Given New Zealanders’ homes are often our single biggest investment, it is important that we provide security for homeowners so that if work is not completed to the highest standard, they can be confident that it will be remedied,” said Mr Florence.

Exclusive to Certified Builders, the InBuild 10 year Residential Guarantee Insurance scheme is the widest home guarantee insurance cover currently available in New Zealand. It is underwritten by Lloyd’s of London and carries an “A+” rating from Standard and Poor’s. The scheme will apply to every new home build or home building alteration over $30,000 that is undertaken by a Certified Builder, and provides greater protection than other guarantee schemes. For example, cover extends to not only fixing any defects but also the damage caused by the defect.

The new scheme replaces Certified Builders’ former industry-leading voluntary guarantee scheme. Like the previous scheme, the InBuild 10 year Residential Guarantee Insurance scheme is run by an independent insurer, which ensures there is no potential conflict of interest in the management of guarantee claims as could be the case with an in-house scheme.

“While Certified Builders has already moved to introduce mandatory guarantees, we welcome the Government’s continued consideration of regulation of building guarantees.

“Mandatory guarantees should be standard practice for major building and renovation work as this would provide greater security for homeowners. When consumers have confidence in builders it’s good for the industry as whole,” said Mr Florence.

This media release was directly sourced from the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand website here. 

The new Singapore Airlines flight into Wellington will help deliver on the tourism industry’s goal of growing total annual revenue to $41 billion by 2025, says the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA).

The new air route linking Singapore and Wellington via Canberra will launch in September 2016, with four flights per week, adding 110,000 additional seats to New Zealand’s air links with the world.

“This new service connects Wellington to Australia’s capital city and to one of Asia’s most important aviation hubs,” says TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts.

“It will open up a lucrative visitor pipeline into the capital, delivering an estimated 25,000 visitors a year to New Zealand, spending $95 million.”

The tourism industry’s Tourism 2025 growth framework identifies increases in sustainable air connectivity as critically important to boosting the industry’s value, from its current $30 billion a year to $41 billion.

“We know that new airline routes help stimulate demand, so we look forward to seeing more visitors arriving in Wellington year-round,” says Mr Roberts.

Tourism 2025 identified that when new air connections are established the whole tourism industry benefits.

“To ensure new air services are sustainable, it’s also vital that tourism operators on the ground get in behind them, by offering fantastic activities and experiences that appeal to that market.”

This media release was directly sourced from the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand website here. 

For further information, please contact:

Ann-Marie Johnson

Communications Manager

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand

DDI: 04 496 5001

Mobile: 027 600 4565

Email: ann-marie.johnson@tianz.org.nz

Co-op Money NZ, the trading name for the New Zealand Association of Credit Unions, which represents co-operatively owned credit unions and mutual building societies, has chosen the Flexcube core banking system from Oracle FSS.

Henry Lynch, CEO of Co-op Money NZ, says Flexcube will replace its legacy core banking system and it ‘will become the one-stop solution for all information across members that will use the system’.

Lynch says: ‘The Oracle solution was chosen by a majority of our credit union members after an in-depth consultative process that had us discussing its relative benefits and advantages. We are focused on becoming increasingly agile, responsive to member needs and resilient to change, and Flexcube ticked all those boxes for us.’

Deployment of Flexcube will start in early 2016.

Co-op Money NZ provides representation and advocacy for its members to government, regulatory bodies, media and consumer groups.

Its members employ over 550 staff, represent approximately 200,000 members, with more than 95 branches, assets of over $1.5 billion and collectively are the sixth largest financial transactor by volume in New Zealand.

This article was sourced directly from the IBS Intelligence website here. 

The recently-established Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand (ERANZ) has appointed a Chief Executive.

Jenny Cameron, most recently the Director of External Relations for the Brewers’ Association of Australia and New Zealand, will be joining ERANZ as its inaugural Chief Executive on 23 February. “We are delighted to have a person of Jenny’s calibre and experience taking on the role of Chief Executive,” says ERANZ Chair Alan McCauley.

“From an electricity retailers’ perspective, we have been in need of coordinated industry voice on complex industry issues for some time. Jenny will play a significant leadership role in communicating and liaising with important stakeholders on these issues, including electricity consumers,” says Alan.

“It is an exciting prospect to establish a new industry association, especially in such an essential sector,” says Jenny.

“The electricity retail profile in New Zealand is unique and I am looking forward to learning more about the sector. There are plenty of opportunities to continue to develop a sustainable and competitive retail market to meet customers’ needs,” she says.

Incorporated in August 2015, ERANZ members include Contact Energy, Genesis Energy, Nova Energy, Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Pulse Energy and Trustpower.

ERANZ’s purpose is to promote and enhance a sustainable and competitive New Zealand electricity retail market. It will represent the industry on important sector-wide issues such as delivering value to customers and supporting an open, competitive and effective electricity market.

This media release was directly sourced from the Scoop NZ website here. 

The AuSAE team will be hosting a delegation for the upcoming ASAE Great Ideas in Association Management Conference, Asia Pacific. This year the conference is being held in Hong Kong April 10-12 2016. 

This conference will provide delegates with valuable insights into managing your association more effectively through education sessions, sharing ideas and collaborating with colleagues. 

For 95 years, ASAE has provided research based resources, knowledge and professional development to the association community. This is ASAE's second conference in the Asia Pacific, and is your opportunity to address current challenges, share your successes and elevate the profession in the region. 

If you would like to register with the AuSAE delegation or find out more about this conference please click here and use the code: PC2CXHP 

This excerpt was originally sourced from member Damian Mitsch's blog here. 

Today, I’m musing about what makes some directors operate like supreme court justices that go charging into management territory like a Kardashian at a fame fest. We are mostly all aware that Board can make all the decisions in an organisation if they want to. We also know that doing so is highly ineffective and at times destructive. However, so often directors either individually or collectively will have an issue come up, often through management reporting, and instantly they want to make a ‘decision’. Anyone who’s worked in management for a board will hear the words ‘why did the board get involved’ in their head, because that’s the question they’ll often get from staff. So why did the board get involved?

Let’s take a look at some tips for boards wondering if they’re making the right types of decisions.

1. Is the decision a matter of strategy?

Yes, we understand that EVERYTHING can be argued as a matter of strategy these days, but will the board be looking to amend the strategic plan as a result of a decision? How often does a director argue something is a ‘matter of strategy’ but then can’t articulate what needs to change in the strategic plan. If there’s no change to the strategic plan or its relating measures, chances are the board is getting involved in directing the ‘how’ rather than the ‘what’.

Tip 1. Ask yourself what changes might need to be made to the strategic plan before arguing an issue is a matter of strategy.

2. Is it a matter of board level policy?

What’s ‘board level policy’ you ask? Board level policy should to set parameters for risk and management activity. For example, if you want management to maintain cash flow at a certain level, then set a policy outlining the control measures. If funds need to be invested in certain asset classes with particular ratings, then specify that and let management get on with it. If there’s a reporting policy that’s needed to give the board confidence that governance parameters are being met, then establish one. That’s board level policy. I’m always perplexed when I hear management talking about boards wanting to make decisions about the most mundane things. Eg. which Australian AAA rated bank should our term deposit be invested with. I can’t imagine how a board in most cases adds any value to that decision once a policy is in place to invest surplus cash within set parameters in a secured account in an Australian AAA rated bank. Why is it a board decision then? Usually because the board has determined it to be so! The same organisations rarely find good management wanting to work with them for any length of time.

Tip 2. Ask which board level policy needs amending as a result of a decision. If there’s no board level policy that needs amending, then why is the board involved.

To read the full article please click here. 

This month AuSAE welcomes Linda Noble, Chief Executive, Governance New Zealand as our Member in Focus. Linda recently spoke with AuSAE about her role, changes at Governance New Zealand and advice to future leaders in the not-for-profit sector. 

How did you first become involved with Governance New Zealand?

With over 20 years’ experience in management of membership bodies across a range of industries, the role of Chief Executive with Governance New Zealand was a perfect fit with my skills and background. Initially this role was three days a week but after 12 months, the Board recognised that in order to progress the organisation, the role needed to be full time.

During your time as Chief Executive of Governance New Zealand, the organisation has seen much change. What do you personally feel has been the biggest challenge the organisation has overcome?

Governance New Zealand certainly has gone through significant change. As part of an international organisation, we needed to keep up with global trends in governance and maintain our relevance to current and future members.

In 2014, it became clear there was confusion around our brand in the market and that we needed to better express who we are and what we do. To support our strategies for growth and profitability and to gain competitive advantage in the area of governance, members gave full support to our rebrand from Chartered Secretaries to Governance New Zealand. We completely updated our website to reflect the new direction and progressive outlook.

Growth continued in 2015, as student numbers studying our professional education programme doubled, affiliate membership increased, conference attendance grew, and we acquired Women on Boards.

I heard about the innovative partnership between Women on Boards New Zealand and Governance New Zealand. Can you share how this partnership came about and the benefits it presents to Governance New Zealand members?

A key challenge for many professional membership bodies is recruiting and retaining members. As I mentioned above, in 2015 we incorporated Women on Boards members into Governance New Zealand.

This came about through our Board’s intent to promote diversity on both sides of the board table. Women on Boards aims to develop the next generation of board-ready women by providing empowerment through education and support.

This is a very exciting merger that benefits all members as we grow and expand our reach and influence in the area of governance, compliance and risk management.

What exciting projects are underway at Governance New Zealand?

We have a growing membership, which is something not all membership bodies can say! We held our second highly successful National Governance Conference last September and this is now firmly on the calendar of many governance professionals.

This year, our focus is on providing tailored, relevant and affordable CPD throughout New Zealand to senior executives, governance professionals and board members, in fact anyone working in a governance role.

What would you say to someone starting out in the not-for-profit sector with a view to become a future leader?

The Not-for-Profit sector is a delight to work in, you are surrounded by people passionate about what they do and who they are doing it for.

However to harness this passion and keep everyone focused on the strategic intent of an organisation, the importance of good governance cannot be underestimated. I recommend a future leader considers study in this area, either through Governance New Zealand or another provider of your choice.

AuSAE thanks member Linda Noble for appearing in the January Edition of AuSAE Insider. AuSAE recognises a current member every month, acknowledging their success and ongoing commitment to advancing the not-for-profit sector. If you would like to share your story with other executives, please contact Kerrie Lucas, Events and Communications Manager AuSAE at kerrie@ausae.org.au.