CEO Report

Welcome to our September 2022 newsletter.

As I write this update, we are just over two weeks out from the hosting of the Annual Security Awards event to be held at the Auckland Hilton on the evening of Friday 16 September.

There is a real buzz around the event this year. As we saw at the OSPA’s back in May, after several years of lockdowns and restrictions most of us are welcoming the opportunity to get together and to enjoy catching up with friends, colleagues, competitors and industry stakeholders. Throw into the mix an iconic venue, first class food and drinks and one of our top bands, how could people not be enthusiastic about attending?

This year we received 142 nominations from individuals representing 30 different companies and it is great to see 20 of those companies listed amongst the finalists – including an even mix of the larger national companies and smaller, more regionally based providers.

I can also advise that the quality of the nominations received this year is well in excess of previous years. In part that reflects the guidance we have provided with regards to preparing a compelling nomination but in the main, the attributes of the nominees reflect the fantastic efforts and services of those who work within the security industry.

You can find information on booking tickets to the event later in this Newsletter and we also remind those from outside of Auckland that with the kind support of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited we have been able to provide a substantial discount on the ticket price for those who need to travel and overnight.

Hopefully I will get the chance to see many of you there on the 16th.

 

Update re Fair Pay Agreements (FPA’s)
As we have reported previously, the Fair Payment Agreement legislation is currently going through the Select Committee phase and will in all probability be passed into law before the end of this year. Security Guards have been publicly mentioned by the government and unions as one of the first industry sectors likely to be involved in bargaining under the FPA legislation and whilst dependent on a ratification process, it is almost certain that the NZSA, as the peak industry representative body, will be the nominated as the negotiating party for industry employers.

Given that the legislation is yet to be finalised or passed into law, we need to be careful that we do not prejudge our position however we have consulted with employment relations specialists and continue to maintain regular communication with both MBIE and Etu.

We have also created a FPA tab on our website – currently this provides guidance materials from MBIE and in due course, we will use this as a conduit for communication with industry employers who will covered by the FPA legislation.

 

Electronic security good practice workshops
Earlier this year, the Compliance and Standards Working Group within the Electronic Security Special Interest Group (ESSIG) identified a significant and worrying gap in industry knowledge of what Standards, Guidelines and Codes of Practice exist, and of most concern, what constitutes “good practice”.

With input from the ESSIG, the NZSA worked with industry experts Rosemary Killip (CEO for Building Networks) and Lincoln Potter (Independent Consultant) to develop a half day programme targeted at Access Control IQP’s, Security Technicians, Supervisors and entry level/apprentice technicians.

The programme has been delivered during August via meetings in Auckland and Christchurch and two on-line sessions.

The response to the Good Practice Workshops has been exceptional with in excess of 140 attendees and very positive feedback.

For those who have been unable to attend, we have recorded one of the on-line workshops and this will be available via our training portal in the near future.

Based on the feedback received, it is our intent to run further good practice workshops in the future – probably on a six-monthly basis, and we welcome all suggestions on areas/issues for inclusion.

 

Industry standards, codes of practice and guidelines
As part of the good practice workshops, presenter Lincoln Potter has asked those attendees who are familiar with, and have access to industry standards, codes of practice and guideline documents, to raise their hands.

The result has been very disappointing with only a small number at each workshop responding positively.

We would like to remind the industry that the NZSA provides complimentary access for members to many of these documents and in fact, many are free to all industry.

Resources available via the NZSA website include:

Under Good Practice Guideline and Industry Codes of Practice tab on home page (free access to all):

– Security Industry Good Practice Guideline (Protective Security)

– Access Controlled Doors Code of Practice

– Compliance Schedule Reference Guide

– Electro-Mechanical Controlled Locking Devices Code of Practice

– MBIE Compliance Schedule Handbook

Under Member Resources – Standards NZ – free Access

• NZS 4514-2021 Interconnected Smoke Alarms for Houses

Restricted access to NZSA Members (on request). Please see our website for the full list of available standards.

 

Chorus copper withdrawal update
Chorus have advised that they are now in the process of transitioning the Copper Withdrawal programme from a test and trial phase into business-as-usual channels.

For general enquiries please contact [email protected]

Chorus have also advised that they have been receiving information requests from security providers with regards to the retiring of PSTN services. They advise that Chorus have no affiliation to the PSTN exit activity and that this a Spark and industry initiative. Enquiries with regards to the PSTN exit plan can be directed to https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/landline/landline-migration/

 

Crowded places strategy
As our borders open and we start moving towards summer, it is timely to review and be familiar with the crowded places strategy documentation – both for personal and business purposes.

The resources are comprehensive and include guidelines, posters and self-assessment tools that can be used with in your business or even provided to customers where appropriate.

For more information refer to the Police website.

 

Are we heading for a recession?
Without wishing to finish this report on a negative, recent data releases have all provided strong evidence that our economy is heading towards a hard landing and the probability of going into recession next year.

The last few years have proven the resilience of the security industry during tough times but is important that business owners and managers give consideration to the possible ramifications of this – particularly where major customers may be impacted.

The retail trade statistics for the last quarter highlighted significant drops for those in the homeware and building supply sectors as a result of dropped consumer demand. Regions most impacted were Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Gisborne, Manawatu, Wellington and Nelson.

I’m certainly not saying time for panic but along with high inflation, wage pressures and a tight labour market – it is certainly worthwhile keeping an eye on these trends and being prepared for possible customer drop-off or contraction of services.

As always, we welcome all comments and feedback on NZSA or industry issues and activity.

Keep safe and well.

Kind regards,
Gary Morrison
CEO

 

New Zealand Security Awards 2022

Bookings close 2pm Thursday 8 September.

This year’s annual New Zealand Security Awards will be held on Friday 16 September 2022 commencing 5.30pm at the Hilton, one of Auckland’s iconic and premier function venues.

To book please visit the NZSA website.

We are thrilled that funding from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited allows us to subsidise the ticket price for members who will be coming from outside Auckland.

 

Keeping your team up to date

Like many organisations we are constantly looking for ways to ensure we can communicate effectively with our members and their teams. The best way to stay up to date on NZSA and industry news is via our newsletter. The more people from each company who receive our newsletter, the higher the chance of updates being communicated within the industry.

With this in mind, we welcome you to send us any company contacts who would like to receive our newsletter and we will add them to our distribution list.

Please email any contacts to [email protected].

 

NZSA member referral – strength in numbers

NZSA’s membership has grown strongly over the past year and each new member not only strengthens the Association and the security community, it also enables us to provide you with more benefits and services and a greater voice for the industry. So help grow your community and strengthen your Association by referring a prospective new member.

To refer a prospective member please email details to [email protected]. For details on member benefits please see the NZSA website.

 

Face masks available

The NZSA has obtained from the Ministry of Health face masks from government stocks. These masks are Ministry of Health approved for essential services. The masks are available to order in boxes of 50 and the cost is $30 + gst per box ($0.60 per unit) for members and $45 + gst per box for non-members.

If you would like to place an order can you please email us at [email protected] with your requirements.

 

Membership

We welcome the following new Corporate Members:

• AP Projects Limited
• Watchu Security Waikato Limited

and the following new Associate Individual Members:

• Athar Awan
• Matt Whitfield
• Peter Gill

Member Benefits

Building Networks Compliance Guidance
Building Networks are the leading authority on building compliance and they are offering a 20% discount for members: Building Networks website

For industry news, updates, tips and opinions from the frontline, sign up to the Building Networks newsletter or visit their YouTube channel.

 

First Aid and Refresher Training
Life Care Consultants have extensive experience with first aid training in the security industry and are offering NZSA members a 10% discount on all first aid and refresher training.

For further information please email Russell Taylor [email protected].

 

Mobilcard
NZSA have an agreement with Mobilcard offering members fuel discounts.

Key Benefits:

• Up to 16 cents per litre (including GST) discount off the pump price for all diesel and petrol purchased at a discounted Mobilcard acceptor sites. Minimum discount of 12 cents per litre (including GST).
• Available at 330+ sites nationwide. View www.mobilfuelfinder.co.nz to find an acceptor site near you.
• No card or transaction fees.
• No need to manage receipts for tax purposes, all managed under one account.
• Costs can be tracked easily with one monthly invoice. You can also have online access to multiple reports including the fuel consumed by individual vehicles.
• PIN number and purchase restrictions for added security.
• You must be a member of the NZSA to qualify for this offer.

A vehicle consuming 100 litres per week using a discount of up to 6 cents per litre = $6 discount per week..

A vehicle consuming 100 litres per week using the NZSA MOBILCARD discount of up to 16cents per litre = $16 discount per week

For a company fleet of 20 vehicles that’s potentially an annual saving of over $10,000 per annum.

The discount level is dependent on volume of fuel used per annum.

For further information please email [email protected].

 

simPRO Software
simPRO is a leading operations management solution for service, maintenance and project contractors. Connect the office to the field, delivery exceptional customer service and gain invaluable insights with automated processes, streamlined workflows and in-depth business reporting.

NZSA members are eligible to receive a 20% discount on initial implementation costs of simPRO and for the month of November two months free!

For further information visit the simPRO website.

 

NZSA Speak Up Line
The NZSA Speak Up Line is free to members and provides access to a confidential service where staff can report issues such as bullying, sexual harassment, poor employment conditions, illegal practices such as theft or drug dealing and other matters of concern that may be occurring in the workplace and not being reported.

Phone                 0800 775 775

Online reports     www.integrityline-nz.org/nzsa

The NZSA will provide posters, business-sized card to go into wallets, stickers and introductory letters for your staff. They are designed for members to include their own corporate branding prior to distribution.

The service is particularly valuable where employees may be reluctant to speak up or report matters due to fears that by doing so it may affect their employment or risk further victimisation.

It is also important to note that such services meet government procurement requirements around providing a voice for staff.

This service is provided by Crimestoppers who obviously have considerable experience in handling sensitive calls in a confidential manner. They log the calls or online reports and forward to the NZSA for further investigation if required. The staff member can remain anonymous if they wish to do so.

Register for the NZSA Speak Up Line by emailing [email protected]. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

NZSA HR Advisory Service
NZSA is partnered with Sucess HR to provide access to free HR advice as well as templated key documents and policies.

This is a fantastic offering for our members and their management staff, in particular those smaller companies who do not have access to in-house or contracted HR expertise. Please share this with your line managers, supervisors and staff who may have a need for this great HR service.

Services and documents available include:

• HR advice and guidance
• Employment Agreements:

permanent, fixed term, casual

• Position Descriptions
• Policy Documents
• Updates on legislation and best practice

For members requiring NZSA HR Advisory services please contact: [email protected] or 021 918 331

 

Events

COA Conflict Management Training – Train the Trainer and Refresher Training for Trainers
As the industry peak body, the NZSA has appointed Bespoke Security and Hard Target to deliver the Conflict Management Train the Trainer and Refresher Training programmes around the country. These providers are subject matter experts in their own right and will ensure that those who are approved to deliver the Conflict Management Training meet necessary standards.

The following training is being conducted by Bespoke Security Group in Auckland:

Train the Trainer Training – Auckland – 6 & 7 October – $750 + GST

Refresher Training – 6 October – Auckland – $395 + GST

For further information and to register please email [email protected].

 

NZISF breakfast meeting

Topic:  Information security and remote work in a post Covid-19 world
Increasing globalisation trends and the decreasing costs of technologies and communication make global expansion a viable solution for many organizations. In addition, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people working from home and digital nomads, whose jobs allow them to work from anywhere in the world, has increased significantly.

When: 8:00am Thursday 8 September 2022 via zoom

For further information and to register please see the NZSA website.