The Circular Economy

How one local council helped 1,200 low‑income residents finance solar and home energy upgrades

Could this work in New Zealand? Feedback please. Paris Hadfield, Research Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Most of Australia’s existing homes are old, uncomfortable and expensive to run. Too many are energy inefficient, and rising electricity and gas prices are making things worse. Mainstream programs are supporting home energy upgrades. But the transition isn’t happening quickly enough and risks leaving behind the households that could benefit most. Innovative finance models could help. Local initiatives can make solar and electrification more accessible. Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program Running from 2014-2025, Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program helped almost 1,200 low-income and vulnerable homeowners in the area get A$4.8 million worth of home energy upgrades. Council paid the upfront cost of installing solar and, in later iterations of the program, reverse cycle air conditioners and hot water heat pumps. Factoring in state government rebates, these costs were added to the homeowner’s property taxes as a “special rates charge”. The homeowner could then repay this money over ten years – interest-free. Suppliers were selected through council tender to make the process easier for homeowners, while ensuring quality products and services including component and performance warranties. This provided certainty for residents, one of whom said: the council’s not going to get involved with some shonky person who’s going to come in and tell you: “Terribly sorry, we’ve got to double the price because you’ve got a nail in the wrong place on your roof” or something. The scheme reduced financial risks and burdens for low-income homeowners. By using council rates to repay the money, the loan is attached to the property itself rather than the homeowner. This means any remaining debt is recouped if and when the house is sold, avoiding a situation where someone is paying a debt for solar […]

The cost of Deindustrialisation: How New Zealand’s manufacturing decline threatens our economic future

NZ Manufacturer magazine wants more business owners and decisionmakers to speak up and positively make suggestions on issues affecting the future of manufacturing. Dont be silent when your ideas can make a difference. Speak up for your country. Doug Green, Publisher By Sean Doherty, Manufacturing Commentator | NZ Industry Trends Manufacturing is not just another sector in New Zealand; it is one of the core systems that keeps regional communities alive and anchors our standard of living. When factories close in Whakatāne, or the outer suburbs of Christchurch, we do not seamlessly “move up the value chain.” We lose well‑paid careers, technical capability, and the dense network of firms and supply chains that make an economy resilient. The signs of deindustrialisation are already all around us Long‑standing manufacturing plants shutting, production shifting offshore, and investment decisions quietly goes against New Zealand. The immediate impact is job loss, but the deeper damage is structural. Manufacturing has long provided thousands of solid, mid‑skill, mid‑wage jobs for people who are prepared to learn a trade, run complex processes, and take responsibility for quality and output. As these roles disappear, the labour market splits into a small group of high‑income professionals and a growing pool of low‑paid service jobs in areas like tourism and hospitality. That mix locks in stagnant wages, weakens social mobility, and drives up fiscal pressure as more households rely on government support to close the income gap. For regions, the consequences are even more personal. A single plant in a provincial town can support hundreds of families directly and many more through suppliers—maintenance firms, transport operators, engineering workshops, automation integrators, local business services. When production ceases, these networks unravel. Young people see fewer reasons to stay, schools lose roll numbers, and community struggle. Once this cycle takes hold, it is […]

McCain employees walking towards production facility

Turning manufacturing around

The announcement by McCains of their closure in Hastings and that of Heinz Wattie’s to close three sites around the country has come with a (wait for it) vacuum of comment, suggestions and concern. Neither does it affirm the benefits of having fifty cent cans of vegetables coming into NZ for sale in supermarkets. It shows greed is alive and kicking! Especially if growers need to readapt and align with the dairy and sheep sectors to survive. Where are the industry leaders, Government officials and ministers leading the charge to do something about the situation, so we do not continue to see the reduction in manufacturing throughout this and other sectors? Have any ideas been expressed and shared as to how this situation can be reversed because, after all, we do want home grown produce and continue to have pride in our land-based industries, don’t we? Is the lack of outrage down to the lack of belief in the ability to come up with concrete ideas to turn the sector around. This must at least be the bottom line to bring about change. Here are a couple you can feed back to me on. Or you might have an idea you want to share: Idea No.1 Is it possible for all affected growers to pull together their produce and start a grower’s co-op, on the North Island and on the South Island, to take on the supermarkets, get a decent return for their efforts and continue to have the populous support “home grown”? Idea No 2 The nation of 5m deposits $1 a week, for a month, into a bank account, NZ Future Manufacturing (for example). After the month there will be $20m in the account. A site is selected, central North Island (Palmerston North, for example) where a manufacturing […]

Ecostore: Building world-class sustainable manufacturing from Auckland

Offering environmentally responsible and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional products has been the goal of Ecostore since its foundation in 1993. That purpose is backed by a sophisticated manufacturing operation in Auckland, where ecostore develops, manufactures and packs its home cleaning, personal care and baby products at its own Toitū Net Carbon Zero-certified factory in Pakuranga. A B Corp-certified business with products sold across New Zealand and into multiple export markets, Ecostore’s growth story is one of continuous improvement. The EMA’s Nicholas Russell spoke to Ecostore Chief Operating Officer Tony Acland about how the company has used smart design, practical technology and better factory flows to lift performance, capability and scale. How does manufacturing support ecostore’s growth and export strategy? Tony Acland: Manufacturing is at the heart of Ecostore’s business model. By owning our production and packing, the company can move faster on product innovation, control quality, and continuously improve how products are made. As demand has grown over the past decade, the focus has been on redesigning layouts, upgrading equipment and improving material flows so the factory can scale efficiently while maintaining high environmental and quality standards. That mindset has driven major changes in how the site operates, from relocating and re-positioning key production equipment into brighter, cleaner, better-ventilated areas, through to re-engineering how raw materials and packaging move through the facility. The result is a manufacturing environment that better supports higher volumes, smoother workflows and more consistent output. What practical investments have made the biggest difference on the factory floor? Tony Acland: One standout example has been investing in equipment that improves both efficiency and accessibility. The installation of vacuum bag lifters means powder batches can now be manufactured without manual handling of large volumes, making production faster, safer and more inclusive for a wider range of workers. Space and logistics were another key focus. As […]

Exporting in 2026: Sustainability and proof

Exporters are not being asked for their sustainability commitments. They are being asked to prove them. Across global markets, sustainability is becoming a condition of doing business. Not because it is the “right thing to do” (although it is), but because regulators, retailers and procurement teams are building sustainability into the rules of trade. Eloise Joiner, Sustainability Lead at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), shared with thinkstep-anz team at our recent team days what NZTE is hearing directly from exporters and what this means for New Zealand businesses trying to grow internationally. Her talk was a timely reminder that while the sustainability conversation may feel noisy, complex and sometimes uncertain at home, the international direction is clear. Here are our takeaways Regulation is moving fast and it is not just climate Eloise highlighted that around 70% of New Zealand exports go to countries with mandatory climate disclosures either proposed or enforced. But climate is only one part of the picture. Exporters are also navigating requirements related to modern slavery, packaging, end-of-life responsibility and product design. For many companies, the challenge is not a single regulation. It is the growing number of overlapping requirements across multiple markets. The result is a system that is often fragmented and hard to interpret, particularly for businesses exporting to more than one region. \ The EU is setting the pace and everyone else is watching Eloise made it clear that Europe is setting the direction on sustainability requirements, and exporters will increasingly need to respond. Read more about the Europe’s sustainability demands on NZTE’s website. The challenge is not just the volume of regulation. It is the complexity, fragmentation and ambiguity, especially for companies selling into multiple markets. New Zealand’s domestic policy signals may not match what exporters face internationally. Despite any changes New […]

Find a Business Partner – DIY or Not ?

Mike Warmington, Director, Platform1 New Zealanders often like to try their hand at projects especially when it comes to DIY jobs around the house. We pride ourselves on having a can-do attitude. This can transcend itself into business when owners are looking at exit planning strategies. It may sound easy to elevate a key staff member or an external person into your business as part of a succession plan – but is it really? As business owners, we understand we need to pay an Accountant for their advice and the compliance work they do in regard to tax and our financial statements. We also pay a Lawyer for legal advice. It is seen as mandatory to engage external parties for this type of advice so why not do the same when making other decisions regarding often your most valuable asset? How often do we pay for other advice and structuring from experts about succession planning? To find a business partner to buy you out over time can be a very effective option and improve your wealth and lifestyle. There are many things to consider as part of a business owner transition plan. If you are looking to find a business partner as part of a strategy to exit your business over time here are some of the points you should consider: Finding the best person usually comes from a competitive process. Are you getting a choice? How do you ascertain the risk profile of the person? Are they entrepreneurial and will they stick to the plan? Weeding out “ tyre-kickers” early is required and it is a skill that needs to be learnt from practice. If a colleague is recommending the business partner to you do they have experience in talent identification? Does the person have the money to […]

From data to decisions: getting more value from sustainability measurement

From February issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine The way manufacturers measure sustainability is changing rapidly. New tools, improved data and AI-enabled platforms mean businesses can now measure far more than they could a few years ago. Carbon, circularity, risk and supply chains — the list keeps growing. For manufacturers, this often shows up as long lists of metrics across plants, products and suppliers. Energy and fuel use on the factory floor, raw materials, packaging, transport and supplier emissions are all in scope. Without clear priorities, teams can spend months collecting data without clarity on what to act on first. Measuring everything is rarely practical, and it is not the goal. What matters is measuring the right things, at the right level of detail, to support decisions that reduce risk and create value. As Jeff Vickers, Technical Director at sustainability firm thinkstep-anz, puts it plainly: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” He also cautions that “we need to focus our efforts on measuring what matters most so that we don’t get lost in the detail.” Why focused measurement leads to better outcomes More data does not automatically mean better decisions. The real value comes from measuring what matters and using it well. A focused approach to measurement helps organisations: Keep priorities clear: A small set of meaningful metrics makes it easier to see what matters most and act with confidence. Put effort where it counts: Time and budget are spent on data that actually changes decisions, rather than information that sits unused. Protect credibility: Reported numbers are understood, can be explained and are clearly linked to actions being taken. Meet expectations: Measurement focuses on the issues regulators and investors care about most, reducing the risk of blind spots. This approach avoids the risks of over-measurement while strengthening insight, trust, and performance. […]

Reflecting on 2025: Circularity, Sustainability and Transformation for Steel Manufacturing

Troy Coyle, CEO, HERA As 2025 draws to a close, it’s clear this has been a year of transformation and momentum for Aotearoa New Zealand’s steel manufacturing industry and for HERA. The national conversation around sustainability and circular design has matured significantly, with steel once again proving itself to be the rockstar of the circular economy. One of the biggest milestones for our sector was undoubtedly the announcement of the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at New Zealand Steel. This long-anticipated investment represents a major step forward for domestic steelmaking, enabling the production of lower-carbon steel from locally recycled scrap. It’s a tangible example of how industry can decarbonise while strengthening regional manufacturing resilience. The EAF signals a new era where circularity, innovation, and sustainability sit at the core of our national manufacturing. At HERA, we’ve seen that growing interest in low-carbon and circular design first-hand. Our newly released update to “How to Specify Low Carbon Steel” guide, has rapidly become our most downloaded publication, reflecting the appetite among engineers, designers, and specifiers to make informed material choices that reduce embodied carbon. This surge in demand shows that Aotearoa New Zealand’s construction and manufacturing sectors are ready to move from ambition to action. Circularity goes beyond just lowering emissions. It’s about designing systems that keep materials in use for as long as possible and few materials perform better than steel in this regard. That’s why one of HERA’s proudest achievements in 2025 was launching our Low-Carbon Circular Design Guidance. This guidance provides a practical framework for designers and manufacturers to apply circular economy principles in real projects, helping to close the loop between design, fabrication, and reuse. It showed that >50% reductions in carbon emissions were readily achievable through clever design and material selection. This work has been further strengthened by our successful application for […]

Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland

Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Another morning, another crash on one of Auckland’s major roads. Traffic isn’t moving. Drivers sit in their cars rehearsing reasons for being late again. Radio hosts offer the usual advice: leave earlier and find an alternative route. It happens so often we barely notice anymore. But the costs add up fast, and they’re far bigger than a few delayed meetings. Auckland had 34,628 reported crashes between 2022 and 2025. The “road toll” conversation typically stops at the obvious costs: injuries, deaths, emergency response. But it misses a lot. A new analysis puts the true figure at NZ$9.23 billion over those three years (roughly 2% of Auckland’s $157 billion economy), including nearly $200 million that never enters the policy debate. Transport agencies already put dollar figures on crashes. The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) uses official methodology covering the usual: medical bills, lost productivity, property damage and the statistical value of a life. One fatal crash amounts to $15.2 million. But buried in the technical reports is an additional cost category that most policy discussions ignore: network disruption. False economies Crashes on major roads hit more than just the people involved. Thousands of other drivers get caught in the delays that spread across the network. Traffic engineering consultancy Flow Transportation Specialists recently worked out these network delay costs for Auckland Transport for the first time. Using GPS travel time data and traffic counts, researchers tracked how crashes create congestion that extends far beyond the crash scene and persists long after vehicles are cleared. A multi-vehicle crash on Auckland’s motorway network generates between $1.4 million and $3.5 million in network delay costs. Even a serious crash on an arterial road can cost $26,000 to $37,000 in lost time across all affected road users. When applied across […]

Building psychologically safe, high-performance cultures: Why ISO 45003 matters for NZ manufacturing

From December issue, NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz Theresa Grainger, General Manager, The Lean Hub Every manufacturing site I visit, whether it is a busy factory floor or a small specialised workshop, I believe has one universal truth and that is that people want to feel valued, supported, and safe to share their ideas and do meaningful work. This is where ISO 45003 adds real value, released in 2021 as the world’s first global standard dedicated to managing psychosocial risks and it has become increasingly relevant as organisations recognise that wellbeing and high performance go hand in hand. Building on the foundation established by ISO 45001, ISO 45003 extends workplace safety into an area many organisations still find challenging to define and measure: the mental, emotional, and social conditions of work. It provides guidance for creating environments where people can not only perform well but genuinely thrive. At its core, ISO 45003 is about both preventing harm and protecting workers from psychosocial risks before they escalate. It encourages organisations to take a proactive approach, identifying early warning signs and addressing the root causes of stress or conflict, and designing work environments that reduce the likelihood of harm. The standard offers not just compliance guidance, but a roadmap for building resilient, high-performing and people-centric operations. Personally, this is where it really resonates for me, I love what it represents because it speaks to something I have witnessed again and again in my work: when we design workplaces around people, when we honour their wellbeing, their voices, and their value, the entire organisation lifts. It is also deeply aligned with the principles of Lean and Continuous Improvement, at its heart, Lean isn’t just about eliminating waste, it is about creating environments where people can collaborate openly, feel safe to speak up and bring their […]

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