The 2009 U.S. International Film and Video Festival awarded two “Gold Camera” trophies to Omnicron Productions of Auckland.

“Gold Cameras” are awarded to international first place getters in their categories.

The 42nd annual awards in Los Angeles attracted over 1200 entries from 22 countries.

Omnicron’s awards were for   “Silver Bay,” which features Queenstown as a holiday destination and “Stoneleigh; stonegrown,” which  tells the vintage story of New Zealand wine company, Stoneleigh wines .

Ondrej Havas, founder and CEO of Omnicron, a company he established in 1980 as a teenager, said his studio has enjoyed consistent recognition in the USA.

The company now holds a total of over 50 awards for its commercial productions and TV documentaries from both local and international festivals including the Los AngelesTelly Awards, often described as the commercial sector’s Oscars.

In New Zealand, the company is just concluding the filming of  a new reality TV series, Phunk Nation,” which will screen on Maori television next year.

ENDS

The former Rawhiti Hospital in Mt Eden Road, Auckland, is being transformed into the latest trend in senior living options – a boutique retirement village.

Founding directors of Arrow International, Ron Anderson and Bob Foster, are major backers of a new company which has purchased the property from Krukziener Properties, for $10.2 million.

Messers Anderson and Foster are also directors of the fast growing independent retirement living company, Vision Senior Living. They first considered the purchase of the development on behalf of that company, which designs, builds and manages retirement communities with populations of 150 to 250 people.

Instead, after the Vision Board decided not to purchase, the two directors bought the complex separately. It will be renamed Mt Eden Gardens.

Bob Foster said many of the operational routines developed at Vision will be applied in Mt Eden Gardens but it will be distinctly different because it will have a much smaller residential population than the Vision communities.

“We believe there is an opportunity to develop a wide range of retirement village solutions – the over 65 market is not one ‘homogenous’ group. There is a real future for independent retirement living of a boutique size. This property is particularly attractive because of its location in the heart of Mount Eden village,” he said.

“While the economies of scale in a community of this size, limit some of the services we can provide, it is ideally located near the Mt Eden Shopping Centre and close to downtown Auckland.”

Krukziener Properties had substantially improved the property from 2003 for use as a luxury rest home/ serviced apartments.

The new owner’s philosophy is to focus on more independent living and they are currently enhancing the landscaping, redesigning the common facilities and adding facilities such as a spa, gym, library computer room and a “Bloke’s” shed.

The apartments range from the luxury two bedroom/two bathroom apartments at $685,000 to the smaller one bedroom apartments at $230,000.

All apartments will be for sale under the standard Licence To Occupy title used by most retirement communities.

Bob Foster said demand is already growing and they expect the apartments will mainly sell to people already living within a ten kilometre radius of the village.

An official opening is planned for late February-early March next year.

ENDS

Similar trials intended to start in New Zealand

(New Zealand has over 5000 people confined to wheelchairs resulting from spinal cord injuries)

A medical team in Ecuador, using methods in some ways similar to proposed New Zealand trials, has achieved for all of the  eight people confined to  wheelchairs,  improvement in muscle function and feeling.

Some have regained ability to walk with assistance.

The report just received by the Spinal Cord Society of New Zealand (SCSNZ), describes the clinical trial of spinal cord injury treatment

The trials used the patients’ own bone marrow cells and patients received the treatment over the past 15-24 months.

Four of the patients in the trial had chronic spinal cord injury and had been paralysed and confined to wheelchairs for periods of between 6 to 22
years and four had recent spinal cord injuries.  People with chronic spinal cord injury do not normally show any improvement after
1-2 years but those with recent injury can show moderate improvement in the first year after the injury.

All of the patients showed improved results in assessment of their quality of life.  Improvement in control of bladder function also occurred
in some patients.

Noela Vallis, Chair of the New Zealand Spinal Cord Society, said the Ecuadorian trials used the patients’s own bone marrow cells,
and SCSNZ has been developing plans for related trials in New Zealand. 

“However, our trials will begin with use of the patient’s own olfactory mucosa (cells taken from the upper nose) and later with addition of trials using their own bone marrow cells,” she said. Ms Vallis said the Society has received heavy inquiries since it announced the planned New Zealand trials last week. She has asked that people in wheelchairs email Dr Faed rather than call. “He has become a bit overwhelmed by calls for people wanting to volunteer for the trials,” said Ms Valllis.

“The evidence for this concept of using the patient’s own cells, is becoming so compelling now that we are sensing an impatience to get on with it,”
she said.

The Society places its final submission to the Multi Regional Ethics Committee on April 21 and once final approval is received, the trials will get under way.

The Society also needs to raise $2million as quickly as possible, to fund the trials and subsequent rehabilitation programmes. Ms Vallis said she is confident that many of the 5000 New Zealanders confined to wheelchairs will soon experience a dramatic improvement in their quality of life.

Ms Vallis said donations for the trials can be made by:

• telephoning 0900 spine ( 77463),
• by going on line to the Society’s website
• or by depositing funds at any branch of the Westpac bank

 

Steve Kerr, owner of Homesell Wellington, is also bringing professional after-school care to the region. He is pictured with SKIDS director, Bev Parsons at Wadestown Primary School, the first school to contract the service.

The after school care service, “Safe Kids In Daily Supervision’” (SKIDS), will expand into Wellington and Horowhenua regions this year.

The national office has announced that Wellington businessman, Steve Kerr, has secured a regional franchise to serve schools in the regions.

Mr Kerr said he intends to have SKIDS operating in 20 schools within 12 months and match the national expansion of the SKIDS chain which has been growing at a rate of two per month.

He said the service will be competitively priced and affordable for working Parents.

The first school to have the service will be Wadestown Primary School.

“The demand from schools is driving the service. The real secret will be to find the right people to run each school programme,” he said.

He said the current World recession will have no real effect on the expansion of the service because it can help both mothers and fathers to stay in employment knowing their children are getting the best care and supervision

Mr Kerr said most schools are on the lookout for a service which applies professional disciplines to after-school care.

“Many get by with volunteer Parents who can only help out as long as long as their own circumstances don’t change.

“This service has a splendid reputation for returning rent to schools for the after-hours use of the property, and seeing children improve in their grades and their health.

“The service is mostly to do with giving children a balance of adequate study, rest, exercise and nutrition in that couple of hours before Parents finish work and take their children home.

“A significant benefit has proven to be the homework routine which sometimes does not happen when children are left unsupervised until mum and dad get home from work. And this reflects in improved grades with many SKID children.”

Mr Kerr said, as a father of five children he knows the importance of establishing daily routines for children and helping them to sustain them.

“My own experiences as a father made me realise how important this two or three hour period of the day is for a child’s later life,” he said.

He said the service will expand through Wellington via a franchise network and he will work with SKIDS national office in the selection of franchisees.

“They told me if I don’t see a genuine passion for caring for children in the first meeting, to not bother about a second meeting. I think this is the right advice.”

Mr Kerr previously established the real estate advisory company Homesell in the Wellington region. This company mentors private house owners in the sale of their own homes.

Individual cases offer important lessons

 

Someone photocopying his or her bare backside on the photocopier at the company Christmas party is usually a very short-lived humorous event, says employment advocate, Mark Nutsford.

 

“The aftermath is often a serious blot on an employee’s service record and a total distortion of the person’s real character,” said Mr Nutsford..

 

 Mr Nutsford’s company, Employment Relations Consultants, is now starting to experience a lift in calls following company Christmas break celebrations.

 

“But to keep it in perspective, I think we’ll receive about 100 calls over the next month and they will be the cases where there has been an irrevocable breakdown of relationship of some kind.

 

“I expect there will be 10 more for every one of those cases, where a quiet word in  a sober environment settles things down and people get on with business again.”

 

He said the most common example which leads to a termination of employment is where an employee tells him  “I got drunk and told the boss what I really thought of him.”

 

“This is the speech that leads to the breakdown of trust and a parting of ways.”

 

“Another common issue is when employers of  “blue collar” skilled people supply unlimited amounts of booze and fighting breaks out.

 

“I represented a young man recently who was regarded highly in his company but got involved in a fight, the details of which he couldn’t even remember, because he was so smashed. I was able to argue with some success to his employer that the responsibility was partly his; he dropped down a large amount of booze with no rules, regulations, or even some friendly advice before they got started.”

 

Mr Nutsford  said theft charges are also often laid against employees after a Christmas party and the scenario is nearly always  the same:

 

“It goes like this.

 

“One; everyone is having a great time and company has paid for the booze.

 

“Two: the boss thinks everybody has had enough and calls things to a close

 

“Three; not everybody agrees with him and they start to talk about taking the party somewhere else.

 

“Four; They take some of the company’s surplus grog with them because they think it’s their property anyway because they’ve worked hard all year..

 

“Five; the management takes exception, isolates “culprits” and lays theft charges.

 

“It’s so common and so easily avoided if people just use a little forethought,” said Mr Nutsford.

 

Sales reps are also vulnerable if they drive company cars home from a company function and are apprehended for blood alcohol excess.

 

“In these cases, the company often lose otherwise highly productive people who would not have been lost with better planning again,” said Mr Nutsford.

 

Sex also becomes a complication at company celebrations.

 

“Hidden desires pent up for months in a sober office environment, can lead to mutually consenting sex between adults in the toilets, on the boss’s desk without the boss necessarily being present, or anywhere. I’ve been amazed at the locations where sexual desire knows no boundaries,” said Mr Nutsford

 

“And a bonk between consenting adults on company premises is not really a criminal offence but some do lead to a loss of reputation which links to respect and authority in the workplace. Again, I think we get a very small percentage of these. Many times more would be settled by a quiet word or a  confidential meeting,” he said.

 

He recalls a recent case of one senior  manager at a company Christmas party taking a liking to a younger person employed in the same company. While sexual activity didn’t eventuate, the

behaviour at the Christmas party lead to a breakdown of professional trust with the senior employee’s superior and termination was negotiated.

 

Another senior employee of a large company “had a lapse of judgement” and visited some porn sites  which resulted in a virus which crashed the company’s entire network.

 

Mark represented the employee in termination discussions.

 

“But in this case, we were able to mend the bridges. The employee was otherwise highly valued and it would have been very difficult to replace such skill and experience in one person. We managed to negotiate salary increase and holiday concessions resulting in relief for both parties.

 

Mr Nutsford said he has some fundamental advice for both employees and employers:

 

Employees

 

1. Plan your exit from the company function. Don’t drive if you intend to drink.
2. Get advice on moderating alcohol intake so that you don’t make “the finest speech you ever regret” to a boss or colleague.
3. Remind yourself that you’re still at work and a moment’s indiscretion can tarnish a lifetime’s career.

 

Employers

 

1. If you want to increase your chances of losing good people, throw a lot of booze at them without any advice on timing, transport, or expected behaviour.
2. Lead by example in behaviour.
3. Be clear on what the company is supplying and not supplying.

 

Mark Nutsford, managing director, Employment Relations Consultants in Auckland

For further details: telephone Mark directly on 0274 627 543.

www.wehelp.co.nz

A film crew will be in the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty regions early next year, checking out the local rural lifestyle for a new TV series.

Stars of the new series, “Phunk Nation” will be the world champion kiwi urban dance group, “Prestige”

Creators of the show, Ondrej Havas and Lisa Morrison, Auckland based television producers, say members of Prestige and a 7-person film crew will be in the area for 3 to 5 days “depending on a few factors such as scheduling and weather”

Prestige will travel New Zealand - from Kaitaia to Bluff - in search of the “Phunk” in the heartland of the country

Ondrej Havas, says the series will be directly aimed at a young, multi-cultural New Zealand audience.

“These guys are a fantastic mix of talent. They also represent the growing multi-cultural nature of New Zealand’s under 30 population,” he said.

People and places of the Far North will be the subject of one of 13 shows in the series, which will be screened first on Maori television in the latter half of 2009.

Prestige is a home-grown group of talented young men of Maori, Polynesian, European, Cambodian, Taiwanese, Samoan and Filipino descent.

“Phunk Nation” will be their new 13 part TV series to screen in a prime time slot on Maori Television in 2009.

Maori Television and NZ On Air have backed the show  “The intention is to make documentary TV and story telling relevant for mainstream Kiwis,” said Ondrej. Maori Television has positively responded to the idea of making the show available to other channels.

“The show will be a celebration of all that rural New Zealand is, through the eyes of a group of young urban men who have travelled the world with Hip Hop but never seen their own back yard,” says Director, Lisa Morrison. ‘Phunk Nation’ will present a strong sense of community values and showcase the talent that the lesser-known regions of NZ have on offer.

Filming will start early in the New Year. Ondrej Havas and Lisa Morrison are both excited at the prospect of being able to bring a positive entertaining half hour of television to kiwi’s screens “especially considering we will be getting the rare opportunity to actually meet our audience face to face as we travel,” says Lisa.

“We have a good record of producing youth television. Henderson to Hollywood is an excellent example of this,” says Ondrej. “People are now presenting ideas to us so we expect to grow this form of production and hopefully see our shows screened overseas.”


The new multi-cultural faces of New Zealand

The young men of Prestige began dancing in a garage in South Auckland when they were still in high school back in 2002.

Some of the challenges they faced reaching adulthood were difficult but their positive friendships and the fact that “they had each other’s backs” has helped to land them firmly on their feet on the world stage.

Often described as “New Zealand’s All Blacks of dance,” Prestige won the 2007 and 2008 New Zealand Hip Hop championships. They won the European World Hip Hop championship in Serbia, competing against 55 countries and took second place in the World Hip Hop championships in Los Angeles, the home of Hip Hop.

“Prestige is the perfect cast for this show,” said Lisa Morrison. “They have a genuine love and care for their contemporaries and have been involved in their community teaching kids to dance for quite some time. It will be a pleasure to introduce them to the rest of New Zealand.”

While college  Board attempts to block competition with legal threats.

Janet Igrisan, Managing Director of R& E Underwood, trading as The Uniform Shoppe in Auckland, has ignored two threats of legal action by Rosehill College in South Auckland and has said she will stand in the  market to provide Parents with Rosehill Uniforms at lower costs.

“I have been threatened with legal action upon my company and personally. I have also been threatened with an injunction to stop me selling uniforms to my loyal Rosehill Parents and frankly it just makes me more determined to stand  up to this bullying,” said Mr Igrisan

Mrs Igrisan’s 32 year-old company supplies more than 30 schools in greater Auckland  as well as companies and sports clubs.

Rosehill College, which has a contract supplier running a school shop, claims in its own information, to be  the sole supplier of college uniforms, the sale of which provide a cash return for the school. The college has also been instructing fabric suppliers not to supply Mrs Igrisan’s company in an attempt to traffic all purchases to the school shop.

“This is a direct attempt to engineer a monopoly position,” said Mr Igrisan.

She says she has no issue with Parents who wish to support the school through the school shop.

She just wants to offer an alternative for Parents who might want cheaper prices for the same quality, more relaxed payment terms and shopping times.

She also argues that the school’s activity is illegal.

“I am advised that the school is contravening section 36 of the Commerce Act and I stand my ground. I will supply Parents who want to take advantage of my company’s prices.”

She says the school has advised that it will attempt to seek an injunction to prevent the use of the school crest and Mrs Igrisan will oppose that injunction through her lawyer Dr John Gray.

As examples of savings her company can offer, a standard year 9-11 skirt can be purchased from Mrs Igrisan’s company for $xx, while at the Rosehill school shop it is sold for $xx

“The Commerce Act clearly states that a person who has a substantial degree of power in a market must not take advantage of that power for the purpose of  eliminating a person from that market.

“Rosehill College has clearly acted in a monopolistic manner and now it is  threatening legal action instead of talking with me about doing the right thing for their Parents.

“What is so desperately sad about this whole issue is the school’s apparent  total insensitivity towards the needs of Parents to save money.”

Mrs Igrisan said the school’s excuse is an attack on her company’s “quality.”

“But in over a decade of supply to thousands of students, we have had a couple of issues over sock colour and too much cotton in a consignment of shirts- all of which were replaced at no charge.

“We have  had dozens of Rosehill College Parentsin  the past few weeks turning up at our store wanting to buy from us.

“I will have a display to show our quality against the school’s monopoly store. Our products will be better quality or at least equal,” she said.

“I have tried all manner of diplomatic routes with the school only to be treated with casual disdain. I will now give my attention to loyal customers. This is a concept of which Rosehill College has no idea. Otherwise we would be working out a solution.

“I’m going to help these Parents save money and give them more helpful  payment terms.

“In 32 years of trading my company has never believed in making schools sign contracts. We stand by our quality and supplying in a fair and competitive environment.

“We know there are many Rosehill College Parents annoyed with their school over this.”

Mrs Igrisan confirms that she will defend the latest threat of an injunction to make and sell Rosehill College uniforms and hopes the Court will put the financial needs of Parents first.

“If the Court does that, we will not be prevented from simply looking after  our customers.”

ENDS

Years of legal wrangling will end for a new retirement village in Kerikeri.

On July 10. when the first villas will finally be put up for sale.
The Vision Bay of Islands development will cost around $50 million and is expected to be completed over the next four or five years in several stages. The current plan on the 4.7ha site will have 150 units and an estimated population of 250-300.

Eight villas have been completed and will be followed by a further six, probably later this year.
A central community zone will be built next year and will include social areas, café. gym, pool, library and consulting rooms.
Peter Bourke, managing director of Vision Senior Living, said July 10 would be “a really great party, marking the end of seemingly endless legal obstacles”.

He paid tribute to Dorothy Corkill, the village’s first and so far only resident.
“Dorothy has patiently waited for neighbours to arrive and we will all be so pleased for her,” said Mr Bourke.
“She has been serene and accommodating throughout the past three years.”
The company has been working on the Kenkeri site since 2004 but problems with a joint venture partner stalled the development. Court proceedings have resulted in Vision becoming the single owner.
Vision Senior Living has two villages in Auckland, one in Hamilton and Papamoa.

Units are sold as occupational rights under the Retirement Villages Act, with Vision serving as the manager.
Last year, Vision confirmed a contract with David Reid Homes (Northland) to build the villas.

Thanks to the Northland Age for this article.

Peter Bourke (left) with prospective residents Peter and Pamela Russell at the Carlaw Park site in Auckland’s Parnell.

 Retirement village developer Vision Senior Living has begun construction at the former rugby league ground at Carlaw Park in Parnell, Auckland, where 300-400 people will live once the $120 million project is complete.
Vision founder Peter Bourke said demand remained strong in the retirement market despite the housing downturn.
“[Parnell] is not on the market and it’s not been advertised but I know we’ve got more than 100 registered interests so far. It’s going to be a cracker.”
He said where the housing market was having an effect was in the time it took for retirement village buyers to sell their own homes “but we know that’s happening across the board”.
After a share issue in March, majority ownership of Vision shifted to a Goldman Sachs private equity fund and Bourke said the stronger equity base meant projects no longer had to be financed through individual partnerships and leveraged deals.
“When Goldman came along and started putting money into the parent company our modus operandi changed - we had the capital to make investments ourselves and not rely on deals,” Bourke said. “It’s all part of growing up.”
The company now owns 100 per cent of its developments in Waitakere, Manukau, Hamilton and Papamoa.
A further development is under way in the Bay of Islands and plans are afoot for one at a former Feltex site at Ilam in Christchurch.

Click Here for a downloadable PDF copy 1.5MB

Welcome to a city of the twenty first
century.
A city where its people value a clean
environment and continue to set new
goals to preserve the community for
future generations.
North Shore City is a place where world-
leading technology advances amongst 
the trees, parks and alongside beautiful
beaches.
Those who live here can be forgiven if
the distinction between work and play is
sometimes clouded. North Shore’s people
enjoy all aspects of life, easily transferring
between work, play and family activity.
This document introduces our city to those
who may be interested in contributing
to our growing economy - either through
establishing a business or opening trading
relationships with organisations already
based here.

Click Here for a downloadable PDF copy 1.5MB