Pro Experts

A closer look at Carbon

At times of market and economic uncertainty, combined with relatively low expected returns for many asset classes, we should consider more widely the assets we hold. It’s important to have a portfolio strategy, designed with discipline, embracing market opportunities while preparing for the unexpected. There are several components of a well-constructed portfolio, including a robust strategic asset allocation that’s consistent...

Risk register protects and creates opportunities

The start of 2023 has been a rough one. Cyclone Gabrielle and the subsequent flooding brought a degree of destruction not seen in the Hawke’s Bay for decades. If we have learnt anything over these last few years following a global pandemic, lockdowns and cost of living crisis, it is that as a group, Hawke’s Bay people and businesses are...

Cyclone Gabrielle & tenancies – know your rights

Article by Edward Bostock, Director and Kelly Henderson, Legal Executive One of the most significant impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle has been the damage and destruction to commercial and residential properties in Hawke’s Bay. Building officers are completing rapid building assessments on properties effected by the Cyclone. To date, there are 100 red stickered properties (meaning the property has been seriously...

People Planning for a Year that is not business as usual

It was anticipated as a year of positivity, business as usual and moving on, but 2023 so far has not been what Hawke’s Bay expected. From a people and business perspective, managing through a disaster creates additional issues to navigate. Resilient Organisations, a research and consultancy group, classify the stages of looking after staff in a major disaster into four...

The Growing Value of Insurance Cover

There is nothing like a natural disaster such as Cyclone Gabrielle to once again have the spotlight shone firmly on ensuring your property is adequately insured in the event of loss and damage. The way Kiwi homes were insured largely changed following the devastation of the Canterbury earthquakes with a shift from guaranteed full replacement or undefined cover to a...

Initial responses and build back better

The impact of Cyclone Gabrielle has been felt, and will continue to be felt by many, and across many sectors. Suffice to say that many families and businesses have been massively affected. From a resource management perspective, new legislation has been introduced to assist initial recovery responses, and various planning processes are likely to follow around consenting and new policy...

Learning from Disaster: What we should take away from Cyclone Gabrielle

Over the course of the last several years, we have seen three major events that forced us to reassess our business continuity and disaster recovery planning. The Christchurch earthquake of 2011 initiated a shift towards cloud technology in preparation for office access becoming more unpredictable. 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic solidified remote working and online collaboration as an essential part of modern...

What did we learn from disaster

It’s been a tough couple of months for many with Cyclone Gabrielle having wreaked havoc across our beautiful region. Over 40,000 insurance claims have been lodged. The cost attached to these claims is around $890 million of which around $70m has been paid, according to The Insurance Council of New Zealand at 20th March. This only covers insurers who are...

Employee Benefits How do you measure the health & wellbeing of your team?

There has been a lot of talk lately around employee health and wellbeing, especially with the struggle for employers to attract and retain staff and recent initiatives such as Mental Health Awareness Week. We all know that a healthy workforce leads to a healthy business but what is the right approach for employers to health and wellbeing and, if the...

Plan to Make 2023 Your Safest Year Yet

2022 has seen two notable cybersecurity incidents: the significant data breach of the Pinnacle Midlands Health Network and the white-hat hacking of the Christchurch Hot Pools. While the Christchurch breach was downplayed as having been conducted by an “ethical hacker” intentionally identifying security vulnerabilities, the important takeaway in both cases is that a security hole in the systems was...