Electricity now comprises the lowest proportion of New Zealanders’ household budgets since the statistics were first recorded, says the Electricity Retailers Association of New Zealand (ERANZ). The 2015/16 Household Expenditure Survey, released on 2 December, shows electricity now comprises just 2.9 per cent, or $37.90, of the average weekly household expenditure of $1299.90.

That compares with 3.6 per cent, or $40.10, in 2012/13 (average weekly expenditure $1110.10) – a decrease of 5.6%. ERANZ Chief Executive Jenny Cameron says many people will likely be surprised by some of the numbers, particularly the proportion of the average electricity spend and how it compares with other household spending. “Considering how important electricity is in our everyday lives, the fact that we spend on average less than 3 per cent of our incomes demonstrates the value that is being provided by the sector. “Spending the equivalent of 26% of a weekly grocery shop on it – equal to adding five loaves of bread and four 2-litre bottles of milk to the grocery trolley, or having two flat whites each day at work – seems like a pretty good deal.

“The fact is that New Zealand electricity prices are also very reasonable by world standards - around the middle of the 30 OECD industrialised countries (12th highest).”

ERANZ analysis of the survey, which is undertaken every three years by Statistics NZ, shows the average weekly spend on electricity remains well below the spend on many other household items. That includes the weekly spend on petrol at $42.30 (down 13 per cent from $48.80), groceries, fruit & veg, and meat, poultry & fish $144.10 (up 9.6 per cent from $131.40), and restaurant/ready-to-eat food $89.30 (up 10 per cent from $81.10).

In 2015/16, on average, New Zealand households spent 17.3 per cent of their income on housing costs, which includes mortgage and rental costs. In the year to 30 June 2016, about 31 per cent of households spent one-quarter or more of their total income on housing costs. Over that same period, net expenditure of all household spending was up 17 per cent. While electricity’s proportion of the household budget dropped to 3.6 per cent, total spending on house and household utilities sector, of which electricity is a part, jumped by 22.6 per cent. Electricity’s proportion of that spend dropped from 14.8 per cent to 11.4 per cent.

Electricity remained by far the biggest proportion of the average household energy bill, its $37.90 spend comparing with gas $2.90, solid fuels $1.10, liquid fuel 10c, and other domestic fuels $5.10. “Our market is the most competitive in the world in terms of choice of retailer, range of service, and ease to change between power providers. There is strong evidence that retailers are helping customers to manage their power usage via technology and value-based products and services offering customers more choice and control. Retailers will not only continue to offer competitive prices but also services most valued by customers”, said Ms Cameron.

“We have also seen through this year’s independent AMR Corporate Reputation Index that four of our energy retailers were voted by customers as in the top 20 most trusted brands in New Zealand – another positive signal that our energy companies have a clear focus on serving their customers’ needs.” Go to the Household Expenditure Survey details here.

About the Household Expenditure Survey

The Household Expenditure Survey (HES) is conducted every three years and collects information on household expenditure and income, material well-being, as well as a wide range of demographic information. A shorter version of the survey, HES (Income), is collected in the two years between the full HES.

This press release was originally sourced from Scoop. 

The Addiction Practitioners’ Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (dapaanz) says the latest Arrestee Drug Use Monitor (NZ-ADUM) paints a stark picture of just how New Zealand’s approach to drug use needs to change, and the price we will keep paying if it doesn't. The 2010-2015 NZ-ADUM was released by Police in late November. It monitors levels of alcohol and other drug use, and related criminal offending among police detainees in Whangarei, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. It says 85 percent of detainees in 2015 said at least one problem had resulted from their substance use including charges for assault, theft and/or wilful damage – as well as car accidents, job losses and overdoses.

Of particular concern to dapaanz is the reported “surge” in meth use, with those attributing their crime to meth having risen by as much as 29 percent since 2012 in some regions. The proportion who felt dependent on meth has increased from 22 percent in 2011 to 34 percent in 2015. Dapaanz Executive Director Sue Paton said, “There will always be people who commit crimes regardless, but we can see from this report that if we removed addiction from the equation, crime figures would be much lower and drug-related harm to New Zealanders would be dramatically reduced.

“However, we are poorly equipped to deal with the problem. Far too many of those wanting help with their addiction don't get it or are too scared to come forward. We also have very little available for early intervention which would identify people with developing problems early so they could get help before their problems escalate to offending. “We also have to remember that these figures are already more than a year old. The real and current story could be even worse.”

NZ-ADUM 2015 says 37 percent of police detainees “felt they had a problem” with alcohol or other drugs. However, 29 percent said they had wanted help to reduce their use but did not receive it. Among the most common reasons for this were not knowing where to go, social pressure to keep using and fear of what might happen if they put their hand up. Ms Paton said this shows New Zealand’s attitudes towards drug use are not changing quickly enough and that a high level of harmful “stigma” around addiction remains.

“A person with addiction primarily has a health problem and we need to deal with it as such. If people are too fearful of the legal consequences of seeking help they will keep on using and their slide into crime will become almost inevitable. “Other countries realising this, such as Holland and Portugal, are seeing substantial declines in addiction and resulting crime because people are getting into treatment and then back into society. It’s time for addiction treatment to stop being Health’s poor cousin, which has left our services struggling to meet demands. The money invested in improving treatment availability would be paid back manyfold in terms of reduced social costs, and in very little time.”

Dapaanz is the member association representing the professional interests of people working in the addiction treatment sector and has more than 1600 members. Funded by New Zealand Police, NZ-ADUM is intended to inform strategic decision making and policy direction concerning drug use among the arrestee population, such as the provision of drug treatment services and early intervention among at risk groups.

The report is available at the New Zealand Police website: http://www.police.govt.nz/about-us/publication/new-zealand-arrestee-drug-use-monitoring-nz-adum-report-2010-2015

This media release was originally sourced from Scoop.

As New Zealanders prepare to go on their summer holidays the New Zealand Bankers’ Association cautions people to watch out for financial crime. “At this busy time it can be easy to let our guard down. While we’re getting ready for the holidays, the fraudsters are hard at work. They love this time of year and will take advantage of people who are getting Christmas shopping done and catching up with friends and family,” says New Zealand Bankers’ Association CEO Karen Scott-Howman. Individuals and businesses both have a role to play in keeping their money safe.

The New Zealand Police supported NZBA’s call for fraud awareness. Detective Senior Sergeant Iain Chapman of the Auckland Police Financial Crime Unit says, “I encourage people be vigilant when completing online transactions. If you are being asked to send or handle money online, by someone you have never met, there is a high likelihood you are being scammed. “Stop and question. Use simple internet searches to confirm validity. Type the company name followed by ‘scam’. Chances are, if they are suspect, someone would have posted about it.

“Police encourage you to talk about cyber fraud and security with your friends and family.” There are all sorts of financial crime we can be alert to. Here are a few useful tips on how to avoid being scammed:

Card safety:

• Guard your card. Treat it like cash. Make sure you know where your card is at all times.
• Protect your PIN. Never tell anyone your PINs or passwords – not even the Police, bank staff, friends or family.
• Cover up. When entering your PIN number at ATMs and payment terminals, shield the PIN pad with your other hand. Criminals may ‘skim’ your card details by attaching a device to the card reader, and then ‘shoulder surf’ or use hidden cameras to record your PIN.

When shopping and banking online:

• Logon to internet banking by typing in your bank’s full web address. Do not use links that appear to take you to your bank’s website.
• Check you have a secure connection, which is shown by a padlock symbol somewhere on the page, and that the website address starts with ‘https://’. The ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.
• Shop with trusted retailers. Before you provide personal information make sure they will protect that information.

Scott-Howman also cautioned people to be alert to so-called ‘phishing’ scams:

“Online scammers use a range of ways to trick people into handing over personal information, usually by phone or email. Once they have that information, such as your account number, log-in details, or password, they can access your identity and your money.”

How to avoid phishing scams:

• Don’t share your bank account login details, cards, PINS or passwords with anyone – not in person, online, over the phone, or in emails or texts.
• Don't give out personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call and you are sure that the number you called is genuine.
• Don’t reply to, click on any links, or open any files in spam emails or text messages. Don’t call any numbers in spam emails or text messages.
• Spam emails are often disguised to look legitimate. If it doesn’t seem right, take care and double check first before handing over personal information. It’s always a good idea to check the email address against one you know to be legitimate.

If you think you’ve been the victim of fraud, contact your bank as soon as possible. Scott-Howman further warned businesses to be beware fake payments fraud: “As we rush towards end of year deadlines, it’s worth businesses making sure they have the proper systems and checks in place to make sure their payments are going to the right place.”

Payments fraud may involve fake invoices that look legitimate but include a fraudulent bank account number for payment. These scams may also involve fake email addresses for people who would usually authorise payments.

This media release was originally sourced from Scoop. 

Mark Ward has been appointed as the new chief executive of the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA). NZVA president Dr Caroline Robertson says Ward’s extensive leadership and business experience in the New Zealand food and agricultural sectors during the past 20 years will be highly valuable as the NZVA builds on its new strategic direction.“His executive roles have included CEO of NZ Crop & Food Research, general manager of the Riddet Institute, general manager of Food & Animal Health at AgResearch, and international marketing in the dairy industry in South Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe,” Dr Robertson says.

Ward’s current role as director of business engagement, Te Puna Whakatipu, at Massey University, involves developing and implementing strategies in the primary industries and related sectors, including research and education. He led the establishment of the national partnership FoodHQ, New Zealand’s gateway to food innovation, and is its foundation programme director. “The NZVA Board is confident that Mark’s strong track record in management, innovation, and leadership, and his personal qualities, will be of great benefit to the association and the veterinary profession in New Zealand,” Dr Robertson says. “He is committed to a unified profession, partnering with the right organisations and achieving its full purpose. It is an exciting time to be coming on board and Mark is ready to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Mark takes up the role as NZVA chief executive from February 1, 2017. Dr Robertson paid tribute to outgoing chief executive Julie Hood, who led the association for almost 10 years. “Under Julie’s leadership, the NZVA has undergone fundamental changes that will help to ensure that New Zealand’s respected veterinary profession continues to have strong support and representation in a rapidly changing world.”

This article was originally sourced from Rural News.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!” And there it was, an epiphany! A personal tipping point for that little old Grinchy.

Christmas, of course, means quite different things, for each different person holds quite different strings. For me it’s a time to spend time with the clan. At the beach, in the pool, in the sun … get a tan. Celebrate them, cherish them, spoil them with love. Give them some presents, but mostly a hug. Especially my daughters, sons, nephews and nieces. I can’t help but love, loving them to pieces.

And it’s not just about one day of the year. A whole festive season that is filled with such cheer. I’ll recharge and reflect on the year that has been. I’ll peak into the future, and come out super keen. No New Year’s resolutions for me, I’ll have a good think about what I’ll achieve. And I share those thoughts with my trusted advisors – my wife and family and other insiders.

My family extends to the workers at work, A team of wonderful, amazing and talented folk … And to all of the members of AuSAE out there, Merry Christmas one and all – may it be filled with good cheer.

Brendon Ward - Chief Executive Officer

Australasian Society of Association Executives

The AuSAE team will be hosting a delegation for the upcoming ASAE 2017 Great Ideas Asia Pacific, which is being held in Seoul, Korea on 22-24 March 2017. The Schedule of Events will give you opportunities to connect with other association professionals from the region, build your skills in association management, and allow you to take back fresh ideas and concepts to implement in your own organization.

Additionally, former Kodak and Apple executive Donald Strickland, CEO, Strickland & Associates will explore four critical success factors of Leadership and two leadership traps you must avoid during his Opening Keynote Session. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your global network and association management knowledge. Input the delegation code - PC2AJWK and you’ll save $100 on registration when you register before 21 February. 

Please reach out to Megan Kuhman, Senior Manager, Global Development at ASAE at mkuhman@asaecenter.org with any questions concerning your registration.

Register Now with your delegation code and Save!

Kirsty Kelly will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer of the Planning Institute of Australia after six years in the role, and over 20 in other capacities at the Institute. Stepping into the CEO role will be David Williams, currently Chief Operating Officer of PIA. PIA President Brendan Nelson said of the transition, “PIA has been very fortunate to have David and Kirsty at the helm for nearly six years, in a successful partnership that has provided a natural successor on Kirsty’s departure.”

Under Kirsty’s leadership, PIA’s membership, influence and financial position have all grown, and its previously State-based structure tightened to form a cohesive national body. Reflecting on her departure, Kirsty said “PIA has been completely transformed and the steps are in place for its next evolution with Registered Planner,” referring to PIA’s new push to introduce a competency-based registration into the planning profession. David Williams is no stranger to the responsibilities of a CEO, having previously served in that capacity for Greening Australia, Australia’s largest environmental not-for-profit. Under his leadership, the organisation transitioned from government contract funding and developed new and novel operations including Australia’s first biodiverse carbon offsets business.

As PIA’s COO, David oversaw the conversion of PIA into a company limited by guarantee; stabilised the Institute’s volatile financial situation; and together with Kirsty, developed a set of purpose statements for the organisation as well as fostering a high-performing work culture internally. Most recently, David has overseen the establishment of the Registered Planner program. In accepting the CEO role, David said “I’m delighted to be returning to a CEO role, particularly for an organisation that I know so well, for a profession that I truly admire and a staff group that I genuinely enjoy spending time with.

“I’m really excited about PIA’s future, with record numbers of members, unprecedented level of PD and social events that are really hitting the mark for planners, and a Board who share my views for increasing the relevance of PIA to all planners, across all sectors of the profession.” PIA President Brendan Nelson echoed these sentiments, saying “David brings a wealth of experience both within PIA and in previous roles including as CEO of Greening Australia. On behalf of the Board and members, I congratulate David on his appointment and we welcome the continued growth of PIA under his leadership.”

David will take over as CEO from Kirsty on 22 December.

In my last article we talked about how to run the numbers with a cost benefit analysis. This time, we’ll look at how you can apply this thinking to analyse expenditure in individual areas of your business to ensure you’re running a lean, effective operation.

Staffing

• Think carefully about your staffing model. Do you need full-time staff (and the financial investment required to maintain them) or would part-time or contracted staff give your business more flexibility?
  
• Hire specialist contractors on an as-needs basis for short periods. By using experts in this way, you’ll get the best possible guidance during that time for a slight premium, versus having a full-time employee who may not have the specific skills or knowledge you need. If you can afford and need a full-time resource, great, but if not, don’t be afraid to bring in the experts as you need them.
  
• If you’re really looking to cut back, build cleaning tasks into staff roles. Create a roster to rotate the jobs and a system to document and check the work has happened. You can’t risk having unclean areas of your business, but you can save on getting this work done. Don’t forget to consider low-cost, homemade cleaning products and disinfectants to keep your equipment clean and to prevent the spread of germs.
  

Selective staff hours

• Consider a staggered approach to work hours to allow for increased staff presence and productivity in the workplace when your business needs it most. For example, in the fitness industry, 9am-11.30am and 1.30-3.30pm are usually far quieter than standard peak hours, so scheduling staff hours around shorter, focussed windows can often increase productivity and therefore business profitably.
  
• Seasonal and trend factors also work best with this selective approach to hours—for example, summer months tend to be busier than winter.
  

Reduce, reuse, recycle

• No matter what kind of business you’re in, but particularly if you run a 24/7 operation, ensure lights and air conditioning sensors are activated at off-peak times to keep electricity bills minimised. Put a note above all light switches to remind staff to turn them off when not in use.
  
• Solar power can also be a viable option to help keep electricity running costs low. But don’t expect an immediate return on investment—your payback period could take up to five years.
  
• Go paperless. Minimise printouts and digitise processes where possible.
  
• Re-cycle—not only is it great for the environment but it will also help minimise costs.
  
• And when thinking about efficient use of resources, can you consider subleasing a space in your premises to a complementary service provider? In the case of a gym it may be a win-win for you to rent space to a physiotherapist, a chiropractor or a dietician.
  

Purchasing policies

• Purchase from wholesalers to buy in bulk and save money.
  

Maximising marketing budget

• Although it may seem obvious to say ‘only spend money where it’s yielding the most results’, it can be difficult to actually measure the effectiveness and track the results. Try and track the impact where you can by analysing data and talking to your customers.
  
• Pick the right marketing tool for the biggest return on investment. Will your customers respond to a flyer in the mailbox or are they more likely to pick up on a Facebook campaign? Or perhaps that money is better invested in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? Again, track the impact!
  
• Share marketing costs with other like-minded businesses. Perhaps you can share the cost of an advertisement in a publication too—a half page each?
  

Capital expenses

• Think about how major capital expenses can become tax deductions for your business. Currently the Australian Government provides a $20,000 ‘right off’ (for all businesses operating in less than $1 million per year gross revenue) for capital expenses. Capital expenses include equipment, security, some software and technology-related services. So reducing tax paid can also reduce costs, and sometimes very big costs!
  

Talk to your local PaySmart Business Development Manager for more great ideas or read more on the PaySmart website.

Posted by Colin Walker In PaySmart News

The Real Estate Institute of Australia has welcomed the election of the new President, Malcolm Gunning from New South Wales. Mr Gunning was elected to the Presidency today at the Annual General Meeting held in Canberra. Mr Gunning has over 40 years of experience in all facets of real estate agency practice, property development and property valuation. 

He is the Immediate Past President of the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW). Currently, Malcolm is the principal of Gunning Real Estate, a property agency and consultancy with offices in Hurstville and Surry Hills whose business focus is sales and leasing in commercial, industrial, retail, residential and development real estate. In accepting the role, Mr Gunning thanked out-going President Neville Sanders from Victoria who has served in the position for two years. “Neville has provided excellent stewardship of the organisation since 2014 and during that time he has achieved much in ensuring that our members have a strong national voice,” Mr Gunning said. “On behalf of the Board and staff, we extent our sincere thanks to Neville for his professionalism and commitment to the role during an important chapter in REIA’s history.”

“Next year will be an equally important one for the sector with the public debate on taxation of housing and affordability continuing. REIA will continue to be a strong advocate for the retention of negative gearing – its abolition is not the panacea for housing affordability that many seem to think it is. The debate on taxation must be broader and include stamp duty, land tax and value capture. “I am also resolved to ensure that professional standards are improved and consumers are protected when they make the biggest and often the most important purchase of their lifetime,” Mr Gunning added.

“Improving the professionalism of the sector requires a multifaceted approach encompassing higher levels of qualifications, CPD, standard of training including ASQA’s role, accreditation, harmonisation, and working towards membership of the Professional Standards Authority”, concluded Mr Gunning.

The Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) is the national professional association for real estate agents in Australia. For further information or interview opportunities, please contact:

Malcolm Gunning REIA President 0413 872 422

Joanne Gundlach Administrative Officer 02 6282 4277

This media release was originally sourced from REIA. 

Passion is not enough to keep the burgeoning number of non-profit organisations on track for success, a Canberra-raised global strategist says. Liana Downey, a New York strategic consultant and author who was once the Braddon Pizza Hut's first "delivery girl", said not-for-profits needed a clear focus and to do their homework to avoid failed models. "There is a lot of research which says the more goals you take on the less likely you are to achieve them," she said.

A former special strategic adviser to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ms Downey has returned to Australia to promote her new book Mission Control, in which she said measuring impacts, not just inputs, was crucial to avoiding well-intentioned agendas becoming ineffective or harmful. She pointed to a successful US government strategy to encourage people to shift to low-fat milk, based on a supposed correlation between whole-fat dairy consumption and heart disease. The change in behaviour was massive, but there was no lowering in heart disease rates, she said.

"The research suggested that we see more intensive heart disease where they have lower milk fats," she said. JBWere's recent Cause Report showed there were nearly 57,000 not-for-profits in Australia, twice as many as 20 years ago. Australian charities also faced significant donor funding challenges, with individual giving as a percentage of GDP at 0.23 per cent, compared to 1.44 per cent in the US, the report found. Ms Downey said pressures to deviate from a core focus, such as to attract research funding, were understandable but could slow achievement. But Australia had a proven track-record for delivering successful public awareness campaigns.

"Australia has really been seen as absolutely world leading – [on] skin cancer, cigarette abatement policies – and that's come from Canberra," she said. Ms Downey led international consulting firm McKinsey & Company's Australian government and social-sector practices before moving to the United States in 2011. Her work has included helping the New York City education department shift their measure of success from graduation rates to university and job readiness.

This article was originally sourced from The Canberra Times and written by Matthew Raggatt.