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Business – Advice Link Appoints General Manager to Spearhead Growth

Source: NZHL

Advice Link is pleased to announce the appointment of a new General Manager, Sébastien Pierre, marking an exciting phase in the platform’s development aimed at expanding reach and impact within New Zealand’s adviser community.
After eight transformative years, co-founder and principal engineer Matt Gilbert will depart from Advice Link in January 2025 to embrace a new challenge as Lead Software Engineer at Top Rail, a leading farm management software provider.
During his tenure, Matt’s exceptional talent in handling complex technology projects has been crucial in establishing Advice Link as a leading adviser platform, positioning it for its next growth phase.
“We wish Matt all the very best and thank him for his dedication to building an amazing business,” said Kip Hanna, CEO of NZHL Group, the majority shareholder of Advice Link. “Matt has been instrumental in establishing innovation and ensuring Advice Link is ready to go to the next level with a robust strategy, exciting projects underway, and a strong, talented team.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for Matt to focus on his passion – engineering; particularly AI and machine learning.
We can’t wait to see what he achieves next; and Matt’s ongoing involvement as a shareholder and his support during this transition phase is invaluable.”
The arrival of Sébastien Pierre as General Manager signals a pivotal moment for Advice Link, its clients, team, and co-founder Josh Bronkhorst, who remains active in the business “Sébastien’s leadership is what we need to bolster our growth and provide even greater support to New Zealand advisers through our purpose-built platform. Josh and I are thrilled to have him join us and are excited for the future,” Hanna adds.
With an extensive background in the financial sector, including senior roles at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the New Zealand Stock Exchange, Sébastien brings over two decades of international experience at the intersection of data, technology, and people to the role.
French-born, his entrepreneurial journey began in Canada, where he established an award-winning data-visualisation consultancy working with global giants like The World Bank, UNESCO, Google, and Amazon.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the opportunity, Sébastien stated, “I am excited to contribute to Advice Link’s next growth chapter. The platform has already established itself as an essential tool for mortgage and insurance advisers, and I see vast potential for expansion.
NZHL Group is a Kiwi-owned organisation with a strong purpose, and its leadership is intent on helping Kiwis achieve financial freedom faster. I’m eager to leverage my background to further enhance a product that truly makes a difference in the industry.”
Looking forward, Advice Link is poised for significant advancement under Sébastien’s guidance, with ambitious plans to extend support to more advisers and, in turn, more New Zealanders. NZHL Group, committed to making a tangible impact in the advice industry, welcomes Sébastien’s wealth of experience and innovative approach to steering Advice Link into its next chapter.
About NZHL Group
NZHL Group is a Kiwi-owned, respected, and trusted brand – a purpose-driven (financial freedom, faster) home loan and insurance network that offers a solution to support advisers and help put Kiwi in a better financial position. Part of Kiwi Group Capital Ltd (KGC) which is 100% Government owned, NZHL Group operates with an Independent Board and local business owners nationwide. 
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Master Plumbers Urges Holidaymakers to Flush Taps for Safety

Source: Master Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers

As we gear up for summer getaways to baches and holiday homes around the country, Master Plumbers is reminding everyone to take a simple but crucial step to ensure water safety: flush your taps on arrival.
Stagnant water in pipes can harbor harmful bacteria such as Legionella pneumophila, which causes Legionnaires’ disease, and may also contain dissolved lead from plumbing components, posing serious health risks.
Greg Wallace, CEO of Master Plumbers, advises running all taps and showerheads for at least two minutes upon arrival. “Legionella thrives in stagnant water. By flushing the water before you drink or take a shower, you’ll reduce the risk of drinking or inhaling waterborne droplets that could contain these nasty bacteria.”
Ensuring hot water systems are set to at least 60°C also helps inhibit bacterial growth.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia. Symptoms typically appear within two weeks of exposure and include fever, cough, and fatigue. Those over 50, smokers, and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
The risk of lead contamination is another potential concern. Lead, a neurotoxin particularly harmful to children, can leach into water from brass taps and plumbing fittings, especially if the water has been left sitting for extended periods.
Master Plumbers has long advocated for plumbing products that come into contact with drinking water to be lead-free as a way of addressing the issue at its source.
In a significant public health milestone, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) announced in 2022 changes to the Building Code that will transition New Zealand to lead-free plumbing products by 2026. New regulations will reduce the maximum allowable lead content of plumbing products in contact with drinking water to a weighted average of 0.25%, aligning with Australia’s standards.
“This is a significant step toward safer water for all New Zealanders,” Wallace notes, “but until these standards are fully implemented, homeowners must remain vigilant.”
Wallace is calling for the government to implement a compulsory lead-free labeling system for plumbing products that is clearly displayed on both the product and packaging. “It is essential that consumers can easily identify lead-free products as a matter of public health and safety,” he says. “New Zealand requires plumbing products to display a compulsory Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) label. Surely, water conservation shouldn’t be seen as more important than preventing water contamination.”
While legislative progress may be slower to catch up, immediate steps like flushing taps and maintaining hot water systems at the right temperature, can protect families in the short term. “The Kiwi bach is a beloved summer retreat,” Wallace concludes. “By taking these simple precautions, we can ensure it remains a safe and enjoyable holiday experience for everyone.”
Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ Inc (Master Plumbers) is the national membership organisation for plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying businesses, with 18 regional Associations and Branches across New Zealand. Companies go through a Quality Assurance programme in order to become a member. We provide members with a wide range of resources and training opportunities to support them in staying up with the latest technologies, products and compliance requirements. We advocate on behalf of our members and our industry.
Masterlink, a group training scheme owned by Master Plumbers, provides managed mentored apprenticeships across New Zealand, with Regional Managers supporting the apprentices and the businesses who host them during their training.
NZ Plumber is the award-winning, bi-monthly magazine for New Zealand’s plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers. It is owned by Master Plumbers.
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Fire Safety – Fireworks banned in Mackenzie Basin and Ashburton Lakes this summer

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has imposed a temporary ban on all fireworks activity in the Mackenzie Basin and the Ashburton Lakes from Sunday 15 December to the end of March 2025.
The Ashburton Lakes area includes Lake Clearwater, and Lake Camp.
Mid-South Canterbury District Manager Rob Hands says the ban is possible under Section 52 of the Fire and Emergency Act.
“It will prevent people from letting off fireworks in these areas as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire over summer,” Rob Hands says.
“We know people stockpile fireworks from Guy Fawkes and like to let them off over summer, but right now the weather conditions are just too hot, dry and windy,” he says.
“While some people might be tempted to celebrate holiday events with fireworks, the risk of causing a wildfire in the district is too great.
“It only takes one spark to start a wildfire. So please, leave your fireworks at home if you’re visiting Mid-South Canterbury this summer.”
Rob Hands says the major wildfire at Pukaki Downs last year is still fresh in people’s minds, as are other significant fires in recent years, such as the one at Lake Ōhau in spring 2020.
“We are taking this step to limit the chances of large fires happening here again.”
Last week, all of the Mid-South Canterbury District went into a restricted fire season, which means anyone who wants to light an open-air fire needs a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz.
“Wherever you are in the country, if you’re thinking about lighting a fire, go to www.checkitsalright.nz to see whether any restrictions are in place before lighting up.
The temporary fireworks ban will be in place until 31 March 2025.
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Health and Employment – Waikato/Waitemata/Taranaki/Northland NZNO members to strike tomorrow

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Waikato/Waitemata/Taranaki and Northland NZNO members employed by Te Whatu Ora will tomorrow (Tuesday 17 December) strike for four hours over patient safety concerns following recent collective bargaining with Health NZ.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) members fear Te Whatu Ora’s plans to pause a key component of its safe staffing programme put patient and whānau safety and wellbeing at risk.
NZNO Waikato delegate and spokesperson Tracy Chisholm is striking because she feels as an integral part of the health system nurses do not receive the level of respect they deserve, and she wants this mindset changed.
“There’s also the lack of respect for the health of New Zealanders by this government and they need to be called out on this.
“For me it’s about safety – the safety of our patients. How do we provide culturally safe care without the nurses to do it; how do we educate, prevent deterioration and further harm without the nurses to provide; how do we meet the governments health kaupapa without the nurses?” Tracy Chisholm says.
Waitemata delegate Troy Stewart says he is striking because as he is fed up with the constant undervaluing of the complex and comprehensive work nurses do, and the disrespect towards them.
“We feel that Te Whatu Ora’s suggestion that we are only worth a net pay cut and that we don’t know how to represent how understaffed we are is insulting, reprehensible, and irresponsible.
“Why would anyone be willing to roll over and accept a precedent that would undermine the wellbeing of our health system founded on telling the workers that hold the system up that they are worth less than nothing?” Troy Stewart says.
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Prices for domestic flights and accommodation increase – Stats NZ media and information release: Selected price indexes: November 2024

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Prices for domestic flights and accommodation increase – 16 December 2024 – Domestic air transport prices rose 10.8 percent in November 2024 compared with October 2024, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

This was the highest increase in domestic flight prices since July 2023.

Domestic accommodation prices also rose, up 6.9 percent over the month

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Fire Safety – Fireworks and open-air fires banned in parts of Otago

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has prohibited outdoor fires and fireworks activity in Central Otago, Naseby, and upper Waitaki from today until further notice.
During a prohibited fire season, no fires are allowed in the open and all fire permits are suspended.
Otago District Manager Phil Marsh says strong north-westerlies and a lack of significant rain over November have dried out these areas, and banning these activities is needed to avoid preventable fires.
“Fireworks are well-known to start fires, especially in areas like Otago where we have mostly grassland valleys, scrubby hillsides and exotic forests,” he says.
“Some recent fires in Central Otago and Waitaki became more serious because of high winds – for example, old burn piles reigniting, and fires spreading to surrounding vegetation.
“The wind makes them hard to contain, and it takes longer to make sure they’re really out.”
All other areas in Otago are in an open fire season, which means people can light outdoor fires without a permit approved by Fire and Emergency.
However, coastal Waitaki, Strath Taieri, and Queenstown Lakes are expected to have restricted fire seasons by the end of this week.
A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an open-air fire needs a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for at checkitsalright.nz.
Phil Marsh says areas around Alexandra and Cromwell have a lot of lifestyle properties which are surrounded by vegetation that could burn quickly.
“Naseby village is exposed to a very high wildfire threat practically every fire season, so we’re planning to get ahead of it this year,” he says.
“We also had several fires in Otago this year that were started by fireworks – either through misuse or poor planning.
“The last thing we need is our firefighters tied up with lots of small, unnecessary fires, and then unable to respond if a significant wildfire gets started.
“If you’re thinking about having a fire, always go to checkitsalright.nz first and follow the guidance.
“It will tell you what the fire season is where you are, what conditions you need to comply with when lighting a fire, or if it’s permitted at all.”
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Business and Tech – Voluntas Elevate and Afinico Partner to Accelerate Business Growth

Source: Botica Butler Raudon Partners

Partnership supports clients to grow and scale beyond $100m ARR
Links founders and maturing businesses with technological venture studio and incubator
Positions founders for strategic exit.

Auckland, 16 December 2024 – Voluntas Elevate and Afinico have formed a partnership combining strategic advisory services with transformation expertise to help businesses achieve rapid, scalable growth from $1m to $100m annual recurring revenue (ARR) and beyond. By integrating the pair’s professional consultation and business transformation systems, they provide scaling capabilities across a business’s lifecycle.  

Afinico and Voluntas Elevate have proven success of improving business success rates, helping companies address product-market fit, marketing, team, finance, technology and operational challenges, all of which are the major contributors for why many businesses end up failing.

Voluntas Elevate’s strength is in uplifting early-stage founders that are pre-revenue or with ARRs reaching $1m and scaling them to the $10m ARR mark. Afinico has a track record of success in helping more mature organisations achieve profitable growth beyond $10m and even $100m in revenue.  

“Wayne and I both believe that good businesses improve people and communities. We care about uplifting people, supporting ambitious founders, and ensuring that people don’t give away their business to grow it. We learned valuable skills exiting our own companies and through this partnership we want to help other founders find the same success,” says Jason Holdsworth, Founding Partner, Voluntas Group.    

Together Voluntas Elevate and Afinico facilitate the transition between business lifecycles using improved business process, AI and analytics, and other new and bespoke technologies. They bring a streamlined approach to overcoming scaling challenges and achieving sustainable growth in competitive markets.  

The combined services aim to address common growth pain points and position clients for long-term success, appealing to founders across the spectrum: those with momentum and ready to scale, those stalled between growth phases, and those ready to compete with businesses operating in the world’s largest markets.  

“We’re here to help businesses grow and increase their economic value,” says Wayne Yarr, Founding Partner at Afinico. “Too many local businesses don’t understand the growth opportunity from overseas markets or how to achieve the maximum economic value from them. With the right guidance and partnerships, founders can significantly increase their valuation.”

Afinico combines analytics, data and AI with transformation advisory services to help founders of technology and SaaS services companies build future-ready businesses. It has a proven model designed to help established companies quickly accelerate profitable growth within the first 12 to 18 months, build a scalable business model with sustainable growth over a 3-year operating period and help founders prepare for a successful exit.

By collaborating with Voluntas Elevate, Afinico connects into a broader ecosystem of professional services, people and capital. Key among them is Voluntas Elevate’s venture studio and technological incubator.  

“Businesses often struggle to find suitable technology solutions to suit their specific needs, leaving leaders with no choice but to buy or create their own solutions. Voluntas Elevate works with a diverse group of founders and startups with the skills to create the applications and platforms needed to achieve sustainable growth,” says Wayne.

At the same time, Voluntas Elevate will leverage Afinico’s technology and expertise to help clients streamline operations, acquire new customers, and build strong, adaptable cultures. These capabilities align with Voluntas Elevate’s growth, planning, governance, capital acquisition and talent development support services.  

“Voluntas Elevate provides world-class tools and expertise to help clients gain the momentum and skills to scale up. Working with Afinico we can help businesses go much, much further. We expect companies that leverage this partnership to see rapid growth and be positioned for strategic exits within five to ten years,” says Jason.

About Voluntas Elevate
Voluntas Elevate is a strategic advisory firm dedicated to elevating tech founders who have not found the necessary support within the traditional VC model. With a focus on growth and scaling, planning and governance, capital acquisition, and talent development and acquisition, Voluntas Elevate partners with founders globally to achieve sustainable growth and long-term value. The firm is part of the Voluntas Group, which combines philanthropy, technology, and strategic support to create positive impact across individuals and communities. For more information, visit www.voluntaselevate.com.

About Afinico
Afinico is a transformation analytics and advisory company, helping technology and business services leaders with bold ambitions, build future businesses with sustainable growth and enterprise value. Their transformation advisory team, who have significant experience leading business turnaround, transformation, innovation and M&A integration, combines deep business expertise with data analytics and behavioural science research, to help companies accelerate change, build culture and grow customers with positive cashflow. Visit www.afinico.com

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RealEstate.co.nz – Houses vs Apartments: which delivers better value over time?

Source: RealEstate.co.nz

Monday 16 November 2024 – New data from realestate.co.nz reveals that houses typically deliver stronger long-term price growth than apartments, but the gap is not as wide as many might expect.

On average, Kiwis move every five and a half years. During the five-and-a-half-year period between May 2019 and November 2024, both houses and apartments saw similar levels of growth. Over this time, the average asking price of houses increased by 29.6%, from $650,839 to $843,208. Meanwhile, apartments saw an increase of 27.1% over the same period, from $590,720 to $750,611.

Looking back 17 years ago, to November 2007, the gap widens, with houses seeing bigger increases. Between November 2007 and November 2024, the national average asking price for houses increased by 102.6%, from $416,173 to $843,208. In comparison, apartments saw an 82.8% increase during the same period, rising from $410,516 to $750,611.

Vanessa Williams, spokesperson for realestate.co.nz, attributes the difference to land value: “Houses have delivered stronger long-term gains because they typically include more land, which increases in value over time. In contrast, apartments often don’t benefit as directly from land value, as the land is usually shared among all units in the complex or, in some cases like leasehold properties, owned by someone else.”

National average asking price – houses vs apartments

 

Nov-07

May-19

Nov-24

Houses

$416,173

$650,839

$843,208

Apartments

$410,516

$590,720

$750,611

Despite the slower growth in returns, Williams notes that the apartment market could be an attractive option for first-home buyers. Notably, the average asking price for an Auckland apartment in November 2024 was $750,596— 29.3% less than the average for a house in the region which had an average asking price of $1,062,295.

“The cost to get into the property market is often lower for apartments,” says Williams. “With an average asking price of an apartment in Auckland sitting at around $300,000 less than a house, the difference in deposit required could be a game-changer for first-time buyers.

“It’s not just about the numbers—lifestyle plays a huge role in choosing between a house and an apartment. Some buyers prioritise the convenience of city living with minimal maintenance, while others value the space and flexibility of a house.

Understanding these trade-offs will help you make the best decision for your future.”

For more insights on the differences between houses and apartments, including key considerations for buyers, listen to the latest episode of Making Cents, featuring Vanessa Williams from realestate.co.nz.

About realestate.co.nz

We’ve been helping people buy, sell, or rent property since 1996. Established before Google, realestate.co.nz is New Zealand’s longest-standing property website and the official website of the real estate industry.

Dedicated only to property, our mission is to empower people with a property search tool they can use to find the life they want to live. With residential, lifestyle, rural and commercial property listings, realestate.co.nz is the place to start for those looking to buy or sell property.  

Whatever life you’re searching for, it all starts here.

Want more property insights?

  • Market insights: Search by suburb to see median sale prices, popular property types and trends over time.
  • Sold properties: Switch your search to sold to see the last 12 months of sales and prices.
  • Valuations: Get a gauge on property prices by browsing sold residential properties, with the latest sale prices and an estimated value in the current market.

Glossary of terms:

Average asking price (AAP) is neither a valuation nor the sale price. It is an indication of current market sentiment. Statistically, asking prices tend to correlate closely with the sales prices recorded in future months when those properties are sold. As it looks at different data, average asking prices may differ from recorded sales data released simultaneously.

New listings are a record of all the new residential dwellings listed for sale on realestate.co.nz for the relevant calendar month. The site reflects 97% of all properties listed through licensed real estate agents and major developers in New Zealand. This description gives a representative view of the New Zealand property market.

Stock is the total number of residential dwellings that are for sale on realestate.co.nz on the penultimate day of the month.

Rate of sale is a measure of how long it would take, theoretically, to sell the current stock at current average rates of sale if no new properties were to be listed for sale. It provides a measure of the rate of turnover in the market. 

Seasonal adjustment is a method realestate.co.nz uses to represent better the core underlying trend of the property market in New Zealand. This is done using methodology from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.

Truncated mean is the method realestate.co.nz uses to supply statistically relevant asking prices. The top and bottom 10% of listings in each area are removed before the average is calculated to prevent exceptional listings from providing false impressions.    

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Government Cuts – WorkSafe staff to picket against job cuts on Tuesday morning – PSA

Source: PSA

WorkSafe staff will take to the street Tuesday morning to picket against the organisation’s axing of 54 further roles.
WorkSafe, Aotearoa’s workplace health and safety regulator, announced the cuts last week, including the disestablishment of the health team, who work to prevent health-related harm and deaths in our workplaces.
The latest round of job cuts follows 113 roles being axed in November 2023. It brings the total WorkSafe job losses to nearly 170 in the last 12 months.
“WorkSafe is taking the ‘health’ out of ‘health and safety’,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi Acting National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says.
“This is a huge worry for all workers who deserve to come home safe and not be exposed to risks to their health and safety in the workplace.
“Like all community and public services, the impact of job cuts extends far beyond the walls of an office. Every year, 750-900 workers die of ‘chronic harm’, or health issues caused by work.
“Without the health team, the prevention of health-related harm and death at work becomes less of a priority – having untold consequences for workers across sectors.
“With every role axed, another worker, or their family, is left longer without care, justice or redress for harm or death on the job.”
Picket Details
Date: Tuesday 17 December
Time: 8.30am
Location: Old Bank Arcade Corner, Customhouse Quay, Lambton Quay and Willis St, Wellington.
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HelpAtHand – GOVERNMENT PUTTING KIWI KIDS IN HARMS WAY

Source: HelpAtHand
Minister for Children and Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour has announced the new Te Aorerekura Action Plan to eliminate Family Violence in NZ.
She says the Government plans to create an “effective multi-agency response” to Family violence, through gathering up agencies including Oranga Tamariki, police, Corrections, and the Minister of Social Development, to create plans to improve collaboration in six regions of the country.
But Labour Party prevention of family and sexual violence spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the Government was narrowing the focus without reporting on whether the prior plan’s actions had been completed.
Sadly, Anderson is 100% correct.
When I recently met with Karen Chhour to brief her on our highly successful HelpatHand Family violence prevention program which reduces violent Family Violence offending by 80% she admitted that getting these government agencies to work collaboratively “Is like herding cats.”
So, in reality there is no established systems in place so that these agencies can work together to reduce New Zealand world leading Family violence rates.
And given that the Prime Minister has directed NZ Police to focus on reducing retail, crime at the cost of attending Family Violence callout support and the government is cost cutting established agencies that support families and children at risk the Government is putting Kiwi Kids lives in harm’s way.
For example, highly successful independently validated support services for over 4,000 “at risk “youths provided by the Charity Stand Tū Māia have had their government funded contract terminated.
Chief executive Dr Fiona Inkpen announced Stand Tū Māia was taking Oranga Tamariki to court over its decision to terminate the contract.
There is some sad irony in this because the Governments new Social Investment agency is reviewing the effectiveness of Family violence initiatives, so it makes no sense to defund an agency that has been independently validated by the Impact Lab NZ and shown it is highly effective at supporting at risk kids.
So, Karen Chhour you are throwing 4,000 of our Tamariki “under the bus” which will inevitably result in increased Family Violence and teen suicide rates and have no established procedures in place which are likely to reduce Family Violence rates in NZ in the foreseeable future.
New Zealand needs a Minister for Children who will act in the best interests of our Tamariki.